Spies, Secrets, Lies and Vengeance
by mia2009
Summary: The Saga continues. Follows Spies, Secrets, Lies and Consequences
1. Chapter 1

**This part of the story takes place 5 years after where Spies, Secrets, Lies and Consequences ended. A nice long chapter (my longest ever) to set the tone for the story. Enjoy!**

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**Spies, Secrets, Lies and Vengeance.**

**Chapter 1**

The bright sunlight flowed fiercely though the bedroom window, illuminating the room and casting shadows on the wall. Chuck's eyes fluttered open. It took a moment for them to adjust to the lighting in the room. He released a yawn as he turned and reached out for her. He was disappointed to find her side of the bed cold and empty.

Chuck looked up at the clock on the nightstand. It was after nine, she had let him sleep in. He appreciated the gesture, but he missed starting his day with her and it was happening far too often lately. Of course, the long hours were expected given his occupation. It took a lot of time and energy to command your own special black opts team for the United States Government.

Given the success of the 2.0, Chuck had really become quite the spy. Chuck was promoted 2 years prior and given the clearance to head up his own Black Opts division with his right hand man John Casey. Of course Sarah was a part of the team too, but she was more of a home body these days. Since the birth of their daughter 4 and ½ years ago, she had new priorities. Believe it or not, she actually preferred the role of mother and wife over that of CIA agent and with Chuck's promotion, it allotted her the time she wanted to spend with their little girl and also the opportunity to work when she needed to release those pent up frustrations. It had been a pretty good arrangement for them, unfortunately, lately Chuck had been working incredibly long hours and not been spending much time at home or with his family and that irritated him. They were the most important thing to him and he hated missing out on spending time with them, especially his daughter, who in his mind was just growing up way too fast.

Chuck sat up, flung his legs over the edge of the bed and stretched his arms. Molly, their golden retriever was laying on the floor next to the bed.. She jumped up and came to him, demanding his attention. Chuck patted her on her head and rubbed her ears in acknowledgement and Molly licked his hand.

He stood up and made his way over to his dresser and pulled out a t-shirt from the top drawer. He threw it on over his head and pulled it down.

Chuck headed downstairs, Molly following closely behind. As he descended the stairs, Chuck came across Lilly in the living room, playing with her big dollhouse. She looked up when she heard him and a big smile spread across her face. She jumped up and ran to him.

"Daddy!"

He scooped her up and she wrapped her little arms as tight as she could around his neck.

"Hi doodlebug." he said wrapping his own arms around her and placing a kiss on her cheek. He held her close, buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. He had barely seen her this week. Working such late hours, all he got were glimpses of her as she slept soundly in her bed, so it felt really good to hold her in his arms this morning.

"Daddy, come play with me." she pleaded with him. One look into those big blue eyes and he was a goner. She was a tiny replica of her mother, long blonde hair, big blue eyes, you name it, and no matter what he did, there was no resisting her charms.

"Okay pumpkin, just let me talk to mommy first and I'll be right in." He set her back down on her feet.

"Okay daddy." Lilly ran back to the living room and picked up where she had left off with her dolls. Chuck smiled and watched her for a moment before he continued on his quest for his wife and maybe even a hot cup of coffee if he played his cards right.

Chuck headed for the kitchen where he finally found Sarah. She had her back to him as she stood at the sink finishing up the breakfast dishes. Chuck smiled. She was still in her pajamas. Her hair propped up in a hair tie on the top of her head. Chuck smiled and moved in towards her. He came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. Sarah jumped and he laughed.

"You scared me." she said settling under his touch.

"I'm sorry." he said leaning down and placing a kiss on her neck. She leaned her back into his chest and enjoyed the sensation of his lips on her flesh.

"Mmmm…I've missed that…I've missed you." She said.

Chuck snaked his arms around her waist and caressed her very pregnant belly.

"I've missed you too. Happy Anniversary."

Sarah smiled. She turned in his arms and clasped her hands around his neck. "And here I thought you forgot."

"Are you kidding me? How could I ever forget our five year anniversary, or any of our anniversaries for that matter? "He asked. "Our wedding day was the first most important day of my life."

"The first?" She questioned.

"Marrying you was the first, Lilly's birth the second and this little guy's birth…" Chuck placed his hands on her protruding stomach. "will be the third. The three most important days of my life. All equally important."

Sarah smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "I love you and Happy Anniversary." She said.

"I want to take you out tonight."

"Oh Chuck, I don't know."

"Come on Sarah. It's our anniversary…Honey I know you're tired, It doesn't have to be anything wild and crazy, just a nice romantic dinner and some much needed time together. We haven't spent any quality alone time together in…forever. Ellie and Devon will take Lilly overnight."

"Overnight? Chuck you know I hate leaving her that long."

"I know baby, I do too, but she'd just be 10 minutes away and she'd be with Ellie…Come on. Two more months and this little guy's going to be here and things are going to be even crazier and busier for us than they are now….Come on…you know you want to…let me spoil my wife tonight."

Sarah smiled. "Okay, but let's just keep it simple."

"You got it." he leaned in and captured her lips.

"Daddy!" Lilly yelled to him from the other room.

Chuck and Sarah parted lips. "I'm coming Lil." he called out to her as he released his hold on Sarah.

"You want me to make you some breakfast?" She asked as he headed towards the living room.

"No, I can just grab some cereal or something, why don't you just relax for a while."

She smiled. "Alright, well I think I'll go take a shower and get dressed. What time do you have to be to work?"

"I'm going to go in around 11:00 and probably will work up until our date tonight."

"Do you think you might have time for a short trip to the park with Lilly and I this morning? She's been asking when you were going to take her down the giant slide again."

Chuck smiled. "I'll make time."

"Daddy!" Lilly called out to him again.

"Alright, right now, I have another date with a little girl and a dollhouse." he leaned in and gave Sarah a peck on the lips.

Sarah smiled and gave him a swat with the dish towel. "You better get in there."

Chuck headed off in the direction of the living room and Sarah headed upstairs to take her shower.

* * *

Casey worked diligently at the computer. The case he and Chuck had been working on the past few weeks was winding down. Chuck had finished the majority of the report last night, staying at Castle into the wee hours of the morning.

Over the past two years Castle had been transformed into their own government run facility. Chuck and Casey had set up quite the operation there; working with and training several top operatives for their team. They were the best of the best.

Casey was looking forward to wrapping up this mission too. He had barely seen his wife in the past two weeks and they had much time to make up for.

He had only been married for about 6 months now. Casey had finally reconnected with the love of his life and mother of his child. The past five years had been difficult for him, first learning that he was a father and getting to know his daughter Alex. Then he watched as his partners and good friends married and started their life together, began a family together and he couldn't help but envy them. He wanted that too and he would have had it had he not been deprived of it years ago.

After a good long talk with Chuck, Casey realized it wasn't too late. He still loved Kathleen and she was more than willing to reconnect with him. He was the love of her life and she had never moved on after losing him all those years ago.

Casey found himself getting distracted as thoughts of her plagued his mind. The ringing of his cell phone shook him from those thoughts. He retrieved it from his pocket and smiled when he saw his daughter's name come up on his caller ID.

"Hi Alex….oh just finishing up some paperwork….absolutely, I wouldn't miss it for anything….no, Bartowski and I are winding things down, after today I should have a little more free time on my hands….you do….that's great….no I can't wait to see you tonight….alright….I love you too….bye."

Casey hung up his phone. A grin spread ear to ear across his face. He was looking forward to dinner with his family tonight. Alex had news for her parents and Casey was just looking forward to spending time with the ladies in his life.

* * *

Sarah emerged from the bathroom freshly showered and dressed for the day. She quickly made the bed and headed downstairs to join Chuck and Lilly and get ready for their trip to the park.

Sarah stopped midway on the stairs taking in the sight before her. Chuck and Lilly sat on the living room floor. The tea set sprawled out on the coffee table.

"Would you like some tea Miss Carmichael?" Lilly asked her father, teapot in hand ready to pour.

"Why yes, I most certainly would." He replied in the best British, woman's accent he could produce.

Sarah had to cover her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

"And some tea for you Molly." Lilly poured her imaginary tea in the teacup that sat in front of the dog.

"Do you want some tea, Mr. Snuggles?" Lilly asked her stuffed bear who was propped up on a pillow so as if he were sitting at the table with them.

"I would love some tea." Chuck said in his best grizzly bear voice to speak for Mr. Snuggles.

Lilly turned and looked at her father. "No daddy, he doesn't sound like that. You made him sound mean. Mr. Snuggles is a nice bear."

"I'm sorry honey, let me try again." Chuck cleared his throat before slipping back into character. "I would love some tea Miss Lilly." his voice was softer and more high pitched like a cartoon character.

Lilly smiled at her father and turned to pour some imaginary tea into Mr. Snuggle's cup.

Chuck picked up his tiny little teacup and brought it to his lips pretending to drink.

"Miss Lilly this tea is simply divine." Chuck spoke again in his British woman's accent.

Lilly laughed. "Daddy, you're so funny." She hopped up from the floor and jumped into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I love you daddy."

Chuck smiled. "I love you doodlebug." he replied cradling her in his arms.

"Daddy, do you have to go to work today?" Lilly asked looking up at him with those big blue eyes again.

Damn those eyes Chuck thought. "Yeah sweetie I do." he replied.

"No daddy. I want you to stay home with me and mommy." she pleaded.

"I know Lil, I want to stay home with you and mommy too, but I can't."

Lilly looked up at him with sadness in her eyes and it broke his heart.

Sarah continued down the stairs and joined Chuck and Lilly in the living room.

"But guess what?" Chuck continued, taking notice of Sarah's entrance. "Now that mommy is all showered and dressed. I can go jump in the shower and get dressed and then you, mommy, Molly and I can go to the park for a little while."

Lilly's face lit up and she sat upright in her father's lap. "Can we go on the giant slide daddy?" She asked with excitement.

"You bet."

Lilly hugged her father again and jumped to her feet. She grabbed her father's hand and gave it a tug trying to pull him to his feet. "Go get ready daddy, go!"

Chuck laughed. "Okay okay I'm going."

"Come on Lilly, lets get our toys picked up so when daddy gets done with his shower we are ready to go." Sarah instructed.

Lilly and Sarah started picking up the tea set while Chuck made his way upstairs. Once the toys were all picked up Sarah headed to the kitchen to fix a fresh pot of coffee for Chuck and quickly fixed him a bagel, knowing that he still hadn't taken time to grab any breakfast and if she knew him, he most likely wouldn't take time for lunch today once he got working.

* * *

Sarah sat on the park bench, Molly laying on the grass next to her, watching Chuck and Lilly come flying down the slide for the 8th time. Her daughter's laughter resonated in the air. There wasn't a sound she could imagine any sweeter than that of her baby girl's laughter. She smiled.

Sarah's hand fell to her stomach and she rubbed it instinctively. As if on cue, the baby chose that exact moment to kick almost as if he were acknowledging his mother's touch. Moments later, Sarah was joined by Chuck on the bench. Lilly was occupied with a couple of her park friends in the sandbox a few feet away.

Sarah smiled at him and handed him his coffee, that she had put in a travel mug for him.

"Thanks." he said settling in next to her. He noticed her hand caressing her belly. "How is our little guy doing today?"

"He's kicking up a storm." Sarah took hold of Chuck's hand and placed it on her stomach. Again as if on cue, the baby kicked back.

Chuck smiled. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that."

Sarah smirked. "That's because it's not you he's kicking."

"True. I can't wait to meet him though. These next two months are going to fly by."

"Maybe for you."

"Oh come on. The years have been flying by. I mean can you believe we've been married for five years? Look at Lilly, It seems like it was only yesterday that we were rocking her in our arms, changing diapers, 3 am feedings. She's growing up so fast. I feel like I'm missing everything."

"Chuck." she reached for his hand. "Things will be settling down soon. I know the past few months, especially the last few weeks have been rough for us as far as your schedule goes, but we'll get through this. We always do." She tried to reassure him.

"I know, I just hate it. You know spending the morning with you two has been great, but in a little while I have to head off to work and break that little girl's heart again. It kills me leaving her like that."

"I know Chuck, I know."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Later that night….**_

"Sarah you look incredible in that dress." Ellie said greeting her sister in-law with a hug.

"Oh stop it. I'm seven months pregnant, I'm just lucky I can even get into a dress at this point."

"Well you look great, Chuck is going to love it. Happy Anniversary by the way."

Sarah smiled. "Thanks."

Ellie turned her attention to her niece who stood at Sarah's side. She pulled the young girl in for a hug. "Hey Lilly are you ready to have some fun tonight?"

"I want to go with mommy and daddy."

"Sweetie, I told you, next time you will go, tonight is just mommy and daddy time." Sarah replied.

Sarah hated seeing the look of disappointment on Lilly's face. She bent down to her daughter's level. "But guess what? Tomorrow we get to go pick up the rest of your Halloween costume and then you get to go with me to my doctor's appointment to see your brother on the TV screen."

Lilly's face lit up at the mention of this.

"Lilly your cousins have been so excited about you coming over. Your Uncle Devon, Steven and Dylan have been in the living room working all day on building the biggest fort I have ever seen."

Steven and Dylan were both younger than Lilly. Steven, although he had just turned four a couple weeks ago, towered over Lily, and Dylan, who was almost three was very close in size to his older cousin. Both of the boys were completely infatuated with Lilly.

Without another word Lilly dropped her overnight bag and darted for the other room.

Sarah struggled to stand to an upright position, Ellie reached for her arm to steady her.

"Thanks." she said.

"No problem, I remember all too well what it's like being this far along. Come in and get off those feet for a while."

Sarah took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Can I get you a drink or something?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, no thanks, Chuck should be here soon."

"Where is he taking you tonight?" Ellie asked.

"That is a good question, he wouldn't tell me."

Ellie laughed, "That sounds like Chuck alright."

"Ellie thanks for taking Lilly tonight, we really appreciate it."

"Oh don't worry about it. We love having her. Especially me, you have no idea what it's like to be outnumbered by all these boys. It's like testosterone overkill. Having her here helps even the playing field a little bit."

Sarah smiled. "Well don't let her fool you, she loves coming here and she loves all of you, it's just been hard for her lately. Chuck's been working crazy hours and she hasn't seen him much. She misses him."

"I know. You miss him too."

"I do. As tired as I've been and as much as I hate leaving Lilly overnight, I really am looking forward to spending some time alone with him tonight. It's been so long."

"Well I know Chuck was really excited about having this time with you too, so I hope you guys make the most of it."

As if on cue, Chuck made his way through the front door. "Hello?' he called out.

"In the kitchen Chuck." Ellie called out to him.

Sarah stood up from her chair just as Chuck entered the kitchen. "Hey sis." Chuck turned his attention to his wife. "Hey sweetie." he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Pulling away he took a step back to look at her. She was dressed in a conservative, yet sexy little light blue dress that came to rest just above her knees. "You look incredible."

"So do you. Where did you change?" she asked taking in Chuck's formal wear.

"I stopped by the house real quick. I meant to bring my clothes with me this morning but I was in such a rush that I forgot them."

Sarah toyed with his collar and straightened his tie. "You look really nice…Mmm and you smell good too."

"You like that?"

"Mmmhmm. What is it?'

"Oh just a little something new I'm trying out." He flashed her a grin.

"Daddy!' Lilly came running into the kitchen. She flung her arms around her father's legs.

"Doodlebug!' He picked her up and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Daddy, Stevie and I are making a fort, but Dilly keeps knocking it down ."

"Oh honey I'm sure he isn't doing it on purpose, he's just a baby."

"I not baby." Dylan said running into the kitchen followed closely by Steven and Devon trailing behind.

"Hey it's the awesome brothers" Chuck held his hand out and they both slapped him a high five.

Dylan made his way over to Sarah and reached up to her with his hands for her to pick him up.

"No buddy. Aunt Sarah can't pick you up with the baby in her belly." Devon informed his youngest son.

Dylan threw down his arms in frustration and looked up at his father with a pout on his face.

"Aww." Sarah sat back down in the kitchen chair. "It's okay Dylan, come here." She extended her arms to him. Dylan reached up for her and she pulled him up into her lap. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. Sarah ran her hand up and down his back in a soothing motion.

"Daddy can I go with you and mommy?" Lilly asked her father with her best puppy dog face and Chuck could feel his defenses crumbling.

_'Oh God, be strong...be strong. '_ he repeated the words over and over in his head like a mantra.

The whole room looked to Chuck waiting for his reaction. Everyone knew he was putty in her hands and wanted to see if he would be able to resist her charms.

"Sorry Lilly, not tonight. You're going to have a lot of fun here with your aunt and uncle and your cousins. I bet Aunt Ellie and Uncle Devon will even let you stay up past your bedtime."

"Come on Lilly, say goodbye to mommy and daddy and we'll go pick out a movie to watch. Our pizza will be here soon." Devon reached his hands out to her and as much as she didn't want to, she gave her father a kiss. "Bye daddy."

"Bye Lilly."

Devon stopped by Sarah and allowed Lilly to lean down and kiss her. "Bye mommy."

"Bye sweetheart. I love you." Sarah said kissing her daughter goodbye. She watched as Devon and Lilly disappeared into the other room. Steven following closely behind.

"Well Dilly, I need to steal your aunt Sarah away, can you say goodbye to her now?" Chuck leaned down to speak to his youngest nephew.

Dylan gave his favorite Aunt a hug and kiss before jumping off her lap and running into the living room to join his father, Lilly and his brother.

"Well Mrs. Bartowski, shall we?" Chuck extended his hand to Sarah.

She reached out and took hold of it and he pulled her to her feet.

Chuck turned his attention to Ellie. "El thanks for taking her tonight, if there's anything at all you can reach us on our cells."

"Everything will be fine. Stop worrying and you're welcome."

"Ellie, I'll pick her up tomorrow around 9:00." Sarah chimed in.

"Sounds good. You two have a great night." Ellie said ushering them out the door."

"We will." Chuck said as the door closed behind them.

His attention turned to Sarah. He smiled and reached down for her hand "Alone at last Mrs. Bartowski." he said to her.

Sarah smiled. "Alone at last Mr. Bartowski." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

* * *

Chuck took Sarah to a quaint, intimate little restaurant just outside of the city. They enjoyed good food, conversation and just being in one another's presence.

Chuck leaned in towards her across the table and took her hands into his. "You really do look incredible tonight Sarah. You're so beautiful."

"I'm glad we did this tonight. "I've really missed this." She replied.

Chuck leaned across the table and grazed his lips against hers.

"Mmm, How about we get some desert to go. There's someplace else I'd like to take you tonight."

"Okay." She replied with a smile.

Half an hour later Chuck and Sarah found themselves pulling up to Clear View Point. It was where Chuck had taken her the night he proposed to her. Chuck put the car in park, Sarah sat with her head resting against the back of the seat, her eyes closed as she remembered it like it was yesterday.

__

"Come on, it's almost time." Chuck said as he grabbed a blanket from the back seat. He closed the car door and led Sarah to the small clearing in the distance.

"Almost time for what?" Sarah asked.

"There's going to be a meteor shower."

"A meteor shower?" She asked as they came to a halt.

Chuck smiled as he went to work laying out the blanket for them. Once it was situated he sat down and reached out to her. Sarah accepted his hand and came to sit next to him.

"A meteor shower is when several meteors enter the Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds. Basically it looks a bunch of shooting stars in the sky."

"Chuck I know what a meteor shower is, I just didn't realize there was going to be one tonight."

"Sorry, that was my inner nerd coming out there."

"Fortunately for you, I love your inner nerd."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm."

Chuck laid down on his side, propping himself up on his one elbow. "Come here."

Sarah laid down next to him.

"Are you comfortable enough?" he asked as he looked down upon her. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her eyes, which sparkled in the moonlight.

"Mmhmm." She replied.

Chuck's gaze fell to her lips. She looked up at him anticipating the kiss. He leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against hers. His hand resting gently on her chin, guiding her lips to his. Their lips meshed together like they were meant to be one. They moved in sync with one another slowly. The intensity of the kiss increasing with each passing second.

When their lips parted, Chuck ran his finger alongside her cheek as she played with the curls just above his ears.

"Oh!….Wow!" Sarah exclaimed as her eyes looked past Chuck. She shot upright to a sitting position as her attention shifted to the night sky. She stared, amazed by the sight before her.

"It's a sight to behold." He said sitting up behind her.

"I've never seen anything like it before." She stood up and took a few steps forward. She stood with her back to him mesmerized by the sight before her.

"Sarah, I've been meaning to ask you something for some time now. I don't want you to think it has anything to do with the baby because it doesn't, and no matter what you say….well I don't want it to change things between us, you know the way things are now."

Sarah turned to face him, expecting to see him standing behind her, except that wasn't the case. She shifted her gaze to see him kneeling before her on one knee.

"Sarah, don't freak out."

Sarah's jaw dropped, she stood speechless at the sight of Chuck kneeling before her on one knee with a ring in hand.

"Sarah, I love you…nothing will ever change that...It couldn't…My love for you is unconditional. It's never ending… because…it just… it just is…I want to spend the rest of my life with you…loving you…making you happy…Sarah, I want to grow old with you."

Sarah felt a lump in her throat and at that moment she found it very hard to breathe.

"Sarah, would you do me the incredibly huge honor of being my wife?…Marry me?"

A smile spread across her face, recalling the happy memory. Chuck reached out for her hand and her eyes opened when she felt him touch her.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"You…Us….The last time we were here."

Chuck brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Come on." He said opening his door. Chuck grabbed a blanket from the back seat and their take out containers of desert. He made his way around to her door and opened it for her. Sarah stepped out and laced her fingers with his. They walked to their little clearing and Chuck laid out the blanket for them.

Sarah turned. She stood with her back to him as she gazed up at the sky. The cool air sent chills down her spine. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm up.

"Are you cold?" Chuck asked taking note and moving in closer to her.

"A little." she replied.

Chuck quickly shed himself of his jacket and came up behind her and wrapped her up in it.

"Thank you."

Chuck took her hand in his and led her over to the blanket. "We don't have to stay long, I just thought it might be a nice place to eat our desert."

"It is and we can stay as long as you want. I love it here."

Sarah and Chuck sat down on the blanket and Chuck proceeded to pull out their desert.

"The stars are really bright tonight." She commented, gazing up at the night sky.

"They're always bright up here, but you're right, they seem brighter tonight. I think they're shining just for you."

Sarah chuckled as she looked at her husband. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?" she asked.

He smiled back. "Not long at all, it just came to me. You know I'm a natural when it comes to cheesy pick up lines, It's a gift." He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

The two partook in their desert. Chuck scooped up a forkful of the chocolate raspberry cheesecake and fed it to her.

"Mmm that's good." she replied.

"The best." he replied.

After desert Sarah found herself wrapped up in his arms as they gazed up at the stars. Chuck had propped up his Ipod and portable speakers so they could have some music to set the mood.

"This is really nice Chuck. It feels good to be in your arms."

"It feels good to have you in my arms."

"Chuck, I know we keep saying that things will get better with work and all…. Promise me it will… Promise me you're going to be around more often. That I'm not going to be putting two kids down for bed every night by myself, making excuses for why you're not there to kiss them goodnight and tuck them in…. Promise me that I'm not going to be going to bed alone every night and waking up to an empty bed in the morning."

"Hey." he leaned down and turned her in his arms so that she was looking at him. "I know it's been hard lately. It's been hard for me too. I promise you." He lifted her chin with his finger. "Sarah, I promise you, I'll be there. There's nothing I want more. You know how much family means to me. It's the most important thing. You and our children are the most important thing in the world to me."

He caressed her cheek with his hand. Slowly he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. She clasped her hand behind his neck, playing with the curls that hung down.

He rested his forehead against hers. "Nothing is more important Sarah, nothing."

* * *

"Tonight was great Chuck. I wish it didn't have to end." Sarah said as they walked up to their front door hand in hand.

"Well it's not over yet." Chuck said opening the front door to their house.

Sarah made her way past the entryway and into the house. She froze when she saw the living room illuminated with candle light. A fire glowing in the fireplace, rose petals strewn across the floor and an exceptionally large bouquet of Gardenias situated in the middle of the coffee table.

"Chuck?"

"You like it?" he asked.

"Chuck, how did you..?"

"Ellie helped me out. I thought it might be nice to hang out in front of the fireplace for a while. We haven't done that since we bought the house."

"That sounds wonderful." She pulled him in for a hug. "Mind if I go change first?"

"No go. Just hurry back." he moved in to kiss her.

"Mmmm. I'll be quick."

He smiled as he watched her walk away. While she was changing, Chuck took the opportunity to grab some pillows off the couch and set them up for them on the floor in front of the fireplace. He made his way out to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses, a bottle of sparkling cider, and a bowl of strawberries and whipped cream that he had placed in the fridge earlier that night when he stopped home to change.

Chuck made it back into the living room just in time to see Sarah making her way down the stairs.

She was wearing a white satin negligee with spaghetti straps. It was extremely low cut. Chuck's breath caught in his throat. "Sarah?"

She smiled as she sauntered towards him.

"You look…I mean…wow." he stumbled over his words and she laughed.

"I take it you like?" She asked.

Chuck nodded his head.

"Good. Because you have no idea how hard it is to distract a four year old while you shop for lingerie."

Chuck laughed. "Well baby you did good."

Sarah moved in to kiss him. The kiss was sweet and tender and full of promise.

"Come sit down." he took her hand and led her towards the fireplace where he had set up the pillows for then. He helped her down on the floor and then took a seat next to her.

Sarah admired the Gardenia's on the table in front of her. She took notice of the card attached with her name on it. She reached out to retrieve it. She opened the small envelope, removed the card and read aloud.

_**To my darling wife Sarah,**_

_**Five years down but**_

_**we're just beginning. **_

_**The best is yet to come.**_

_**All My Love,**_

_**Chuck**_

"Chuck, that's beautiful. The flowers are beautiful. Thank you."

"You're beautiful." He replied as he poured them each a glass of the sparkling cider. He handed a glass to her and then picked up his own glass. "I want to make a toast Sarah." he held up his glass and she followed suit.

"To my beautiful wife. You gave me the five most incredible years of marriage I could ever imagine. The best years of my life have been because of you, and I know we'll have plenty more years to come. You are the love of my life, my soul mate, my reason for being. You are my life, my home, my everything. I love you Sarah Bartowski, forever and always. I love you."

The tears glistened in her eyes as she clinked glasses with him. "And I love you Chuck Bartowski…forever and always."

He leaned in and she met him half way. He captured her lips with his and kissed her fervently, leaving her completely breathless. Sarah's hands moved up his torso and began working at the buttons on his shirt. It wasn't long before she shed him of the material sending it to the floor. Chuck's hand moved up her side, resting briefly against the side of her breast. He continued his upward journey with his hand until he came in contact with the strap on her shoulder. His mouth worked it's way from her lips to her neck, trailing succulent kisses in it's path. Chuck slipped his finger beneath the thin satin strap on her negligee and slid it off her shoulder leaving kisses in it's path.

"Mmmm. Chuck." She moaned with pleasure as he continued to touch her, to love her.

His mouth moved down her chest as he pushed away the satiny material in the process revealing her silky, smooth flesh.

"Sarah….are you sure you…want to…do this? Usually…you're too…tired." he stopped to look up at her.

Sarah smiled. "Chuck…I shaved my legs for you….Do you have any idea how hard it is to shave your legs when you're this pregnant? We're doing this."

Chuck laughed and moved back in to capture her lips. He was just getting back into it when Sarah quickly pulled away.

"Unless… YOU don't want to…I mean….I know how I look Chuck….I understand if you don't find me attractive."

"Sarah."

"Yeah?"

"Sarah it's been 4 weeks, 6 days, 9 hours…" Chuck glanced down at his watch. "and 18 minutes since we were together last…We're doing this. Now shut up and kiss me."

Sarah smiled. She reached out and took hold of him and pulled him back in for a kiss. He ran his hands sensually up her back. His one hand came to rest behind the back of her head and he leaned in pushing her gently down onto the pillows. He hovered above her, careful not to press down on her stomach. Sarah ran her hands over his bare chest and he reveled in the sensation she invoked on him. Sitting up, Sarah rolled Chuck onto his back. She climbed on top of him straddling him. He ran his hands over her bare thighs and pushed the satin material up her body, until it was over her head and completely gone, leaving her in nothing but the matching panties that came with the outfit.

Chuck licked his lips, taking in the sight before him. She smiled as she leaned over him. Her lips sought out his once again. His hands slid up her bare back as her mouth worked it's way down his torso. She kissed her way down his abdomen stopping just below his belly button and above the waistline of his pants. She sat upright atop of him and worked at the button on his pants, followed by the zipper. Sarah tugged at the material that separated them. Chuck assisted her with the removal, desperate to shed himself of the clothing that confined him.

He closed his eyes and moaned with pleasure as she settled back down on top of his lap. In one swift motion Chuck slipped inside her, eliciting a blissful cry to escape her own lips.

Sitting upright, Chuck wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. His mouth sought out hers again as he continued to move inside her.

"Oh Chuck!" She cried out as he continued to work his magic on her.

He took her sensitive breast in his mouth and she cried out once again. His tongue lovingly massaged her soft flesh. Sarah ran her hands through his thick curls. He laid her down on her back and moved over her again. She locked her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her.

Chuck moaned with pleasure as she raked her fingernails down his back. He thrust deeper inside her and nearly lost it when he heard her cry out. She tightened up around him, her body writhing beneath him. His mouth retreated to her neck. He nipped at her ear and she giggled, a smile spread across his face and he took the opportunity to make eye contact with her. "I love you." he said as his mouth slowly met hers again. He kissed her softly savoring the moment. He traced her delicate features with his tongue as he slowed down his pace.

He moved his hands slowly over her body, touching upon every feature. It sent chills down her spine when he touched her like that, like he was memorizing her body with his hands. She missed him so and she needed him tonight, more than she knew. A single tear fell from her eye. Chuck looked up at her when he felt the wetness fall against his chest.

"Sarah? "What's wrong?…Did I…did I hurt you?…the baby?"

She shook her head no. It was too hard to speak. She clung on to him for dear life. He brushed the tear from her cheek and replaced it with a kiss.

"Tell me." he spoke softly as he caressed her cheek. Their eyes locked on one another.

"I love you." was all she could manage to get out, it was all she needed to tell him, because he felt too.

_**Okay, so now that you have a little back story to set the tone and let you know where our characters are at at this point in time, the real fun can start. So what did you all think? Satisfied with the opening chapter or not so much? Please leave a review and let me know. I look forward to your responses. Thanks for reading. The next chapter our adventure begins stay tuned. **_


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm feeling generous tonight after all of your kind reviews, so I am posting early. I usually post on Sundays. This is another extremely long chapter for me and this one really gets in to all the action stuff and starts the plot of the story. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 2**

Sarah's eyes fluttered open, the sunlight crept through the blinds. Morning had come too quickly for her liking. Her head rested on his chest. Her arm draped over him. Chuck wrapped his arms securely around her, holding her tightly against him. He moved under her and she shifted her eyes to look up at him. He kissed the top of her forehead and she caressed his neck with her thumb.

"Tell me it's not morning already." he said breaking their silence.

"I wish we could stop time…stay like this forever." she responded snuggling into him.

"You and me both. I can't even remember the last time I got to wake up with you"

"Last Tuesday." she replied. "And that was just because the baby had me up at 5:00am."

"You're keeping track?" he asked.

"Not really, I just have been missing this. This is my favorite part of the day. I love having our alone time in the morning before Lilly gets up and it's just us."

Chuck grazed the top of her head with his lips. "Me too baby."

They laid there in one another's arms, enjoying their last few moments together, basking in their afterglow from last night, before reality set in and they had to start their day.

"Whoa!" Chuck nearly jumped out of the bed, when he felt the baby kick him hard against his own abdomen as Sarah rested against him.

She laughed. "Now you know what I deal with all day long."

Chuck pulled her back into his arms and rested one hand on her stomach, caressing it gently. He leaned in to kiss her. She held his cheek in the palm of her hand.

"Thank you for the best anniversary ever."

Chuck flashed her a smile. "Thank you for marrying me and giving me the best life ever."

Sarah brushed her thumb over his bottom lip, before leaning up to kiss him. "I love you." She said as she pulled away. She sat up in the bed to stretch.

"Hey, where you going?" he asked.

"I just have to…" She stretched her arms. "My back is killing me."

"Where?" Chuck rolled to his side and propped himself up on his elbow.

Sarah gestured to her lower back. "It's been bothering me a lot lately."

"Here, roll over." Chuck instructed.

Sarah rolled to her side so that her back was facing him. His hands moved to her lower back and he began to gently massage the area for her.

"Mmm thank you." she replied as he provided her with a little relief.

"It's not from last night is it?" he asked.

"No, like I said it's been acting up lately. Of course, last night probably didn't help my cause any."

"I'm sorry." he said.

"I'm not. Last night was incredible." she replied.

Chuck smiled. Leaning in he grazed his lips against the side of her neck. "It was pretty incredible wasn't it." he spoke into her ear.

Sarah smiled thinking about it and Chuck continued to work on her back.

"I'm sorry I'm going to miss your appointment today. I really want to be there with you."

"I know. It's okay, you've been to every appointment. As long as you're there when Charlie's born, I'm good."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa,…honey, we talked about this, I thought we agreed. We are not naming our son Charlie."

Sarah propped herself up on her elbow and shifted her head to look at him.

"No, you agreed. I still want to name him that."

"Sarah, come on. We talked about other names. What happened to Owen? Or William after your grandfather? I thought those were both front runners?"

Sarah sat up in the bed and turned her body around. "Chuck, I like the name Charles. I want his name to mean something. I want to name him after the greatest man I know, and that's his father."

She looked up at him with those hypnotic blue eyes and he could feel his heart melting.

"Sarah, I just…he's going to get picked on!….Look little boys with the name Chuck…it just…it doesn't go over well…trust me I know."

"Well, first of all, we're not going to call him Chuck, we're going to call him Charlie. Second of all, no one is going to pick on him over his name…he would kick their ass if they did."

Chuck laughed at her last comment. He had no doubt in his mind that any child of Sarah's would definitely be a champion ass kicker.

"So good, it's settled then." she said getting up from the bed, a grin stretching ear to ear.

"What? No, Sarah, we're not done discussing this, nothing has been settled."

Sarah tossed on her robe and headed for the bathroom. Chuck sighed, threw his arms up in the air and laid back against the bed in defeat.

* * *

Sarah was fixing Chuck a cup of coffee to go with the lavish breakfast she had prepared for him when he finally entered the kitchen.

"Honey it smells really good in here, what did you do?" he asked slipping on his suit jacket to complete his business attire.

Sarah walked towards him with a plate in hand. She stopped to set it down on the table and continued to move towards him. She kissed him on the lips. "Just made my husband some breakfast that's all. Come and eat."

Sarah guided him over to the table and he took a seat.

"Sarah, it looks amazing." Chuck picked up his fork and took a big bite of the omelet she had prepared for him.

"Honey this is incredible, I can't even remember the last time I had a real breakfast."

"Well I figured you worked up quite the appetite last night, I thought you deserved a little pampering this morning." Sarah placed her hands on his shoulders from behind. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. She was just about to walk away when Chuck took hold of her hand. He pulled her back towards him and pulled her down to his lap.

"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked.

"Yeah I'll grab something, I just want to clean up in the living room a bit first, it's kind of a disaster from last night."

"Leave it. My meeting should be quick this morning. I'll be home late this afternoon, I'll clean it up when I get home. I don't want you to have to deal with it, you have enough to do today."

"Chuck it's not that big of a deal."

"Sarah?"

"Okay, I'm not going to argue with you, if you want to clean it up, then by all means."

Chuck scooped up a forkful of his omelet and held it up to her mouth. She opened up and he slipped the food inside.

"Mmm that is pretty good isn't it?"

"Mmhmm." he filled the fork back up and took another bite himself. "What time is your appointment this morning?" he asked.

"10:30. After I pick Lilly up at your sister's we're going to go pick up the rest of the things we need to complete her Halloween costume. She's so excited about Halloween this year. She can't wait to wear her princess costume."

"I saw the costume hanging up, you did a fabulous job on it."

"Yeah well, your sister helped me a lot. I could never do that on my own."

"Sarah don't be ridiculous, you can do anything. There is nothing you don't excel at. Hopefully our kids will have that same trait."

"Well with any luck, they will both have their father's brain."

"And your good looks. I mean Lilly already does, hopefully baby boy Bartowski will be just as lucky."

"I hope he has your curls and your eyes."

"Just not my name." Chuck replied giving Sarah a knowing look.

Sarah smiled. She leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before getting up from his lap. "We'll see." she said making her way across the kitchen. She picked up her glass of orange juice that had been sitting on the counter and took a sip as she turned to look back at him. He shook his head and smiled at her. How was he ever going to change her mind about this? Once Sarah had her mind made up, that was it.

Ten minutes later, Chuck was rinsing off his dishes and tossing them in the dishwasher. He grabbed his coffee mug for the car and his keys off the counter. Sarah was rushing around the house to find a pair of shoes. Chuck caught up with her in the entryway by the front door.

"Honey, I gotta go, I have an hour drive ahead of me, assuming the traffic isn't backed up."

" I don't know why they didn't just hold the meeting in L.A.? Beckman knows that it would be easier for most of the attendees. I don't see why you have to drive all the way out to Valencia."

"Well you know Beckman, never makes anything easy on anyone. She's out there attending to some personal affairs, so it's easier for her."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Figures. Is Casey going?"

"No, he's working out of Castle today. He's got a conference call with General Tilden this morning then has a meeting at the Chinese embassy."

"Well, drive safely." She smoothed over his collar and leaned and kissed him.

"I will. You too. Call me after your appointment? I should be finished with my meeting by then."

"I will."

He leaned back in to kiss her again. This time allowing his lips to linger a little longer. Pulling away he rested his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." she replied.

"Don't forget, I'll be home early tonight. It's family night. Dinner together, bath time, bedtime stories, TV on the couch, the whole nine." He flashed her a grin.

"Bath time huh? For Lilly or for us?" She asked suggestively.

"Ohh I like your thinking Mrs. Bartowski." He leaned in once again and gave her a quick kiss. "To be continued." he said making his way towards the door.

She smiled as she watched him walk out the door. Five years of marriage and he still gave her butterflies. She was completely smitten with him.

Once the door closed, Sarah made her way to the living room, she sat down on the couch and put her shoes on. Sarah took a look around the room. The rose petals still scattered about, the pillows laying in a heap on the floor. Their clothing spread out across the room, left wherever it had landed. Sarah blushed just thinking about the things that went on there last night. At some point they had made it up to their bedroom where they had continued their escapades.

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Sarah noticed the time. She jumped up, grabbed her jacket and her keys and headed out to pick up Lilly.

* * *

Casey was just leaving the Chinese Embassy, he made his way through the crowded street trying to get to his car. He held his cell phone up to his ear listening to a message that Chuck had left for him earlier, reminding him that Agent Pembroke would be dropping off some classified documents for them to review that afternoon.

Casey grunted as he tucked the phone back into his pocket. He was just about to unlock the door of his Crown Vic when he heard a gunshot ring out and felt a bullet whiz past his head, just missing his shoulder. Casey hit the ground and retrieved his gun. The crowd was in an uproar.

Casey scanned the area for the shooter. In the distance he spotted a figure on top of the roof of a nearby building. Casey aimed his gun and fired once but missed. The shooter retreated and disappeared. Casey took off in his direction.

Casey reached the building in record time. He ordered security personnel to shut it down, no one was allowed in or out of the building until his search was complete. Casey called in a task force to assist. They arrived in a matter of minutes.

Casey made his way up to the roof searching every stairwell and floor along the way. No one had seen the shooter. Casey searched the roof thoroughly but came up empty. The shooter was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"I can't believe he is making us do this, she's pregnant, I'm not killing her CJ."

"Relax Jimmy, everything is all going to work out, I did a little research. I have a new plan."

CJ spent the next twenty minutes going over the plan with his partner in crime in great detail. It was elaborate and well thought out given the small amount of time they were given to come up with it, now it was all up to the execution.

"Hey is that her?" Jimmy asked nervously as the beautiful blonde haired woman entered the parking garage.

CJ looked down at the picture they had of her. "Yup. That's her alright."

"She has a kid with her! How the hell are we going to do this with a kid here?" Jimmy began to panic.

"Get a grip man." CJ slapped him in the back of the head.

"Don't worry about the kid, just follow the plan and everything will be fine."

The two men exited the van and got into position.

* * *

Sarah and Lilly walked hand and hand through the parking garage in the direction of Sarah's car.

"Mommy can we get ice cream?" Lilly asked.

"We need to have lunch first, then we'll see." she said in response. "Let's call daddy."

Sarah pulled out her cell phone and dialed Chuck's number and handed the phone to Lilly.

Chuck who had just wrapped up his meeting and was making his way out to his own vehicle, smiled when he saw the caller ID.

"Hello." he said answering the phone.

"Hi daddy!" his daughter screeched on the other end of the line. A smile stretched across his face when he heard the sound of her voice.

"Hey doodlebug. Did you have a good time last night with your cousins?" he asked.

"Uh huh. And guess what daddy. Mommy and I got to see Charlie on the TV today."

Chuck rolled his eyes. Not her too. Even Lilly was calling the baby Charlie. "That's great Lil, How did he look?"

"Kind of like a monkey without a tail." Lilly responded.

Chuck nearly choked on his coffee, it went spewing out of his mouth. He coughed to clear his throat.

"A monkey huh." He said when he was finally able to speak. "Are you telling me that your brother is a monkey?"

"Well he looks like a monkey, but I didn't see any fur. We should probably go to the store and get him some bananas though."

Chuck was in hysterics over the words coming out of his daughter's mouth. "Well we still have plenty of time doodlebug before we have to start making banana runs, so not to worry. Can I talk to mommy?"

"Uh huh. Bye daddy!"

"Bye sweetheart." Chuck managed to get out before she handed the phone off to Sarah.

"Hello." Sarah said taking the phone from their daughter.

"Hey honey, Is there something you would like to tell me?"

Sarah laughed. "You mean about our little monkey?" She asked, looking down at Lilly she gave her a wink.

Chuck laughed, "That is too funny, I wish I had been there to see Lilly's reaction."

"Well, it was quite comical, I'll fill you in on it later."

"How did everything go?" He asked his tone changing to a serious one.

"Good. Dr. Callahan says everything looks good. He's getting big, she thinks I may go earlier than expected."

"Really, how much earlier?"

"She wasn't sure, could just be a week or two early."

"Wow. But everything looks okay, we don't have anything to be worried about?"

Chuck had been extremely worried throughout this pregnancy. Things had not gone well for Sarah with her last pregnancy. They had almost lost the baby during delivery due to complications. Both of them had been hesitant about having more children, neither wanting to relive that experience. Finally after much deliberation they had decided to try for a second child. Everything had been going extremely smooth for Sarah and the baby, but he still worried and he knew that even though she didn't show it, she worried too.

"She didn't seem to think so."

"Good." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"How was your meeting?" Sarah asked turning the focus to him.

"Good, we just wrapped up, I'm heading out right now. Where are you?"

"Lilly and I are just leaving the hospital. Walking out to the car actually."

"Well, once I get back I just need to head over to Castle and go over some files with Casey. I'm thinking I'll be home around 4:30 at the latest. What do you want to do for dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Umm, I don't know, I was thinking about making up some of that…" Sarah stopped in her tracks, she looked around taking in her surroundings, the parking garage was pretty much empty but she could have sworn she heard footsteps behind her.

"Sarah?" Chuck's voice called out on the other end of the phone.

"Mommy what are we doing?" Lilly asked, wondering why they had stopped.

"Chuck, I think.." she looked around again and spoke quietly into the phone. "I think I'm being tailed."

"What? Are you serious? Where are you?" He began to panic.

"We're almost to the car. We're in the parking garage of the hospital, level 4, section C."

"How close are you to the car?"

"I can see it from where we are." Sarah gripped her daughter's hand tightly and began walking again at a quicker pace.

"Sarah, you need to get to the car and get out of there. I'll call in some back up."

"Chuck, don't freak out okay, we're fine, I'll call you back as soon as we are out of the garage."

"Sarah….please….be careful…. I love you."

"I will. I love you too. I'll call you back in a few minutes." Sarah disconnected the call and tucked the phone back into her coat pocket, as she quickened her pace. Pulling out her keys she pressed the button, unlocking the doors as they approached the car.

"Mommy why are we going so fast?" Lilly asked her mother.

"Baby we're in a hurry, I need you to walk fast okay."

Sarah was just about to the car when a young man dressed all in black stepped in front of her, blocking her path and causing her to stop in her tracks.

Sarah pulled Lilly close and shielded her behind her back.

"Can I help you?" She asked the man who stood motionless in front of them.

The man didn't speak. He just pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it at her. Sarah took several steps back, pushing Lilly with her.

"Look, take my purse, my car, whatever you want, just please…my daughter is with me."

A big black van came to a screeching halt in front of them and a larger, slightly older man dressed in black jumped out.

"Mommy!" Lilly called out to her.

"It's okay baby." Sarah pulled her cell phone from her pocket and tucked it securely in her daughter's hand without anyone noticing.

"Jimmy, just do it already and lets go!" the man shouted to him.

"CJ I can't! the kid is looking at me."

"Oh for God's sake." CJ approached Sarah and the young child. He grabbed the girl by her arm, yet Sarah held her grip on Lilly.

"Oww, mommy, he's hurting me!"

Sarah reached into her purse and pulled a gun out, holding it up to the man's head.

"Take your hands off my daughter, now!" She ordered him.

The man froze. He released his grip on the child and held his hands up in the air. Lilly took that opportunity to kick the man in the groin, as he was bent over in pain .Lilly delivered a right hook to his nose and swept his leg, bringing him to the ground.

Sarah was about to move in to pull her daughter from harm's way when she felt the gun pressed against the back of her head.

"Run baby, run!" she yelled to Lilly.

Lilly looked up to see her mother with the gun pointed at her head. The man on the ground was starting to get up. Sarah took note of this.

"Now Lilly!" Sarah yelled again and Lilly bolted. Sarah put her hands up and turned around to face the man who held the gun to her. His hand was shaky and she could tell he had never done this before.

CJ came to his feet. "Now Jimmy." he ordered.

"Look you don't have to do this. Like I said you can take the car, my purse, anything…Please, I'm pregnant." Sarah pleaded with him, it was very out of character for her. Never would you have seen Agent Walker beg anyone for anything yet alone to spare her life, but it wasn't just her. She was begging him to spare the life of her unborn child. Her baby boy that hadn't even been given a chance.

"I don't want your car or your money!" he nervously shouted back at her.

"Then what do you want?" She asked in a firm voice.

"Now Jimmy!" CJ shouted.

"You dead." he said pulling the trigger.

Lilly covered her ears when the gunshot rang out. Ducking behind a car, she watched as her mother fell to the ground. The man with the gun moved in and bent down beside her. The other man joined him kneeling at Sarah's side. They stayed like this for some time before standing up.

"Now go get the kid Jimmy." CJ ordered.

"What?" Jimmy questioned. "No!, absolutely not! That was not part of the plan."

"Fine, just get in the damn van!" CJ ordered.

Jimmy looked down at the woman laying before him. The gunshot wound in her shoulder, the blood, it was more than he had anticipated. The tears welled in her eyes as she gasped for breath.

The two men jumped in the van and the van sped away leaving her lying there, bleeding and alone.

* * *

Chuck sat behind the wheel of his black escalade, traffic was backed up on the highway. It had been nearly 15 minutes since he had heard from Sarah. He had tried calling her back but couldn't get through to her. Chuck picked up his phone and dialed another familiar number.

It rang three times before he answered.

"Yeah Chuck, what is it?." Casey answered the phone.

"Casey, where are you?' Chuck asked frantically.

"I'm headed towards Castle It's been quite the morning. There was an attempt on my life."

"What?" Chuck asked, shocked to hear this.

"I was leaving the embassy and a sharp shooter took a shot at me. Fortunately he missed. Got a whole bunch of people riled up though. I tried tracking him down but he got away. I didn't even get a look at his face."

Chuck could feel his heart racing, he began to panic as Casey's words sunk in.

"Oh my God Casey. Look you have to get to Sarah!"

"What? Why what's going on?"

"I was just talking to her on the phone, she had her doctor's appointment this morning and she thought someone was tailing her. She was is the parking garage at the hospital last time I spoke to her, Level 4. Casey, Lilly's with her. She was supposed to call me right back and now I can't get through to her." Chuck was really starting to get scared now.

"Alright, I'm not too far from there, I'll head over. How far out are you?" Casey asked, making an abrupt u-turn with his car.

"At least an hour, traffic is bad."

"Alright, I'll call you." Casey replied.

"Thanks Casey."

Chuck and Casey both hung up their phones. Chuck turned his attention back to the road in front of him, he felt sick to his stomach. Something was not right, he could feel it. Picking up his phone he tried calling Sarah once again.

* * *

Lilly rushed over to her mother who hadn't moved since she hit the ground.

"Mommy!"

Sarah looked up at her daughter, who looked down at her with worried eyes.

"Mommy get up." she pleaded with her. Lilly reached for her mother's hand and gave it a tug.

The tears glistened in Sarah's eyes as she tried to speak, it was like she was completely paralyzed, all she wanted to do was reach out to her daughter and tell her everything would be okay.

"Mommy, you're bleeding."

"Lilly…call…daddy." She managed to get the words out as her eyes closed.

"Mommy!." Lilly gave her mother a shake. "Mommy wake up!" She cried.

* * *

Chuck sat in the long line of cars at the traffic light. He still hadn't heard back from Casey or from Sarah.

He watched as an elderly woman attempted to cross the street, a few cars ahead of him at the intersection, with a bag of groceries in hand. She moved slowly, only making it about a third of the way across the street when the light had changed. Chuck watched as the car three vehicles in front of him sped past the woman, startling her and causing her to drop her bag of groceries. They scattered everywhere. She struggled to gather them as car after car sped past her.

"Idiots!" Chuck exclaimed, jumping out of his vehicle to go to the woman's aid. He was in disbelief as car after car sped by, disregarding their very presence in the middle of the road. Chuck had left his cell phone on the passenger seat, so he was unaware that his daughter was trying to call him when it began to ring.

Chuck continued to gather the elderly woman's belongings after which he moved the her safely across the street where she had been headed. She thanked Chuck for his assistance.

Just as he was making his way back to his vehicle, a huge explosion in front of him, sent him flying in the air, fortunately not causing him any major injuries. Chuck looked up in disbelief at the wreckage in front of him, the fire was intense. There was barely anything left of his SUV. Two other vehicles had been caught in the crossfire, but it was obvious that the bomb was meant for him.

* * *

Casey was about 3 minutes out from the parking garage when his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and smiled when he saw Sarah's name come up on the caller ID.

"Sarah?" he said answering the phone.

"Uncle Casey?" he heard the small child's voice in response.

"Lilly? Where are you? Where's your mother?" he asked

"We're by the car. Mommy won't wake up."

Casey felt his heart sink.

"Lilly, is she hurt?"

"She's bleeding a lot. I can't wake her up." She cried.

"Lilly, I'm going to be there very soon, Just hang on okay."

"Okay." she said. Lilly hung up the phone and sat down on the ground next to her mother.

"Mommy…wake up…I'm scared." Lilly leaned down and hugged her mother. She laid against her chest as the tears began to stream down her face.

Sirens could be heard in the distance. It wasn't long before she saw Casey's car speeding through the garage towards them. He came to a stop a few feet in front of her, accompanied by several other cars filled with agents.

He took in the sight in front of him. "Oh my God!" Casey jumped out of his car and rushed towards them. Lilly jumped to her feet and ran at him, throwing herself at him. He scooped her up in his arms and she held on to him for dear life.

"Are you hurt? Did anyone hurt you?" he asked.

"No, I kicked him and punched him just like mommy showed me." she replied.

Casey made his way over to Sarah's body that was laying motionless on the ground. He knelt down beside her, setting Lilly back down on the ground.

"Sarah?" he gave her a nudge. She didn't respond. Casey took note of the gunshot wound and the blood that covered her. He brought his two fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse, he couldn't find one. He leaned down over her, putting his ear up to her face to listen for breathing. There was none. Casey immediately went to work attempting mouth to mouth resuscitation. After a few minutes of this, several medical personnel had moved in, pushing him and the child aside as they went to work on Sarah. Casey put his head down and fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Uncle Casey, why isn't mommy waking up?"

Casey was at a loss for words, he didn't know what to tell the child, he didn't know what he was going to tell Chuck. He felt sick to his stomach. "Come here Lilly." He took the small child by her hand and brought her over to the EMTS. "Right now, I want these guys to check you out and make sure you are not hurt anywhere, I'm going to call your dad again."

"Okay." she replied, going with the paramedic.

Just as Casey was about to call Chuck, his phone rang. He looked at the screen it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello." he said answering the call.

"Casey!"

"Chuck? Where are you?" he asked.

"I'm waiting for an air evac. My car just blew up!"

"What? Are you hurt?"

"No, I wasn't in the vehicle when the bomb went off, but some innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire. Did you get a hold of Sarah yet?"

Casey felt the bile rise in his throat.

"Chuck you need to get here now."

Chuck's heart stopped. He didn't like the tone in Casey's voice. "Casey,…what…is she okay? Lilly?"

"Lilly's fine, but you need to get here."

Chuck looked up to see the helicopter approaching.

"The chopper's here, I should be there within 20 minutes."

"Hurry Chuck." Casey said before disconnecting the call.

* * *

As the minutes passed, several more medics arrived on scene. Being that they were in the parking garage of the hospital, several on call doctors arrived on the scene as well.

Devon had just gotten out of surgery and went out to see if he could lend a hand. He was shocked when he saw Casey amongst the crowd that had gathered. His heart nearly stopped when he saw his niece sitting on the back of the ambulance with the paramedics.

"Lilly?" he rushed for her and picked her up. "Lilly what happened?" Devon asked looking around taking the scene in around him.

Casey approached Devon and Lilly.

"John?" Devon asked, looking for some answers.

Casey gestured for him to move aside, away from Lilly. Devon set his niece down. "I'll be right back Lilly." he said taking a few steps away with Casey.

"John, what the hell is going on?" Devon demanded.

"It's Sarah." Casey nearly choked on his words.

"What?" Devon turned his attention to the group of medics across the lot. Peeking through he could see the blonde tendrils laying on the pavement. Devon rushed for the crowd and pushed his way through the medics, where he found his sister in-law unresponsive and bleeding on the ground.

"Sarah!" he called out to her.

A medic placed his hand on his shoulder. "It's no use Doc." he said. "We did all we could. She's gone."

"What?" Devon knelt down before her, he was in a state of shock and disbelief.

"Doc, you need to step aside, the coroner is here." the medic said as one of the other medics pulled him to his feet.

The coroner made his way through the crowd and approached the body. Devon headed back over to Casey who was on the phone with General Beckman. A helicopter could be heard overhead, no doubt about to land on the hospital's helipad.

Authorities did their best to disperse the crowd of bystanders that had now gathered, while securing the scene and searching for and collecting any evidence they might find.

Devon made his way back to Lilly to talk with the paramedics. They assured him that she was fine. He picked her up and held her in his arms.

"I want my daddy." She said laying her head on his shoulder.

He rubbed her back with his hand. "I know Lilly." He replied.

Casey watched the medics as they made their way towards Sarah with a body bag. He threw down his phone and rushed towards them.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, stepping in front of them.

"Our job." One of the medics responded.

"You are not bagging her yet! You see that little girl over there?" Casey pointed to Lilly who was across the lot with Devon. "This is her mother laying here. You're not going to put her mother in a body bag in front of her. Besides, her husband is on the way. He's going to need to see her, and trust me, you don't want to piss him off, so you're going to wait, understand?" Casey said getting right in their faces making his point clear.

The men nodded and stepped off to the side.

"Daddy!" Casey heard Lilly cry out, he turned his attention back to her and saw Chuck running towards them.

"Lilly!" he scooped her in his arms and held her as tight as he could. A look of relief came over his face once he saw her and saw that she was unharmed.

Casey quickly made his way over to them, he knew things were about to get real ugly.

"You okay baby?" Chuck asked his daughter.

"Uh huh." She replied burying her head in his shoulder.

"Thank God." he said breathing a sigh of relief.

Chuck finally noticed Devon standing there for the first time. He was about to ask him what was going on when he saw Casey rushing towards him.

"Casey?"

"Chuck, thank God, you're here."

"Where's Sarah?" Chuck asked.

Casey stood before him with a look on his face that Chuck had never seen before and he found it very unsettling.

"Chuck…" Casey started.

Chuck's focus shifted past Casey, where a small group of medics were gathered. One of them had stepped aside to pack up his gear, and he saw her. He saw his wife laying on the cold pavement, a blood soaked sheet draped over the majority of her body.

"Sarah?" her name escaped his lips. Chuck set his daughter down and rushed to his wife. He pushed several people out of his way in the process. He fell to his knees at her side.

"Sarah?" She didn't respond.

Chuck looked up at the medics and doctors that had gathered with questioning eyes. "Help her!" he pleaded with them. Chuck brushed the hair from her eyes, he leaned down to speak to her. "It's okay baby, I'm here, everything's going to be okay." he turned his attention back to the medics. "WHY ISN'T ANYONE HELPING HER?" he yelled out to them.

Casey moved in. He placed his hand on Chuck's shoulder.

"Chuck."

Chuck pulled away from him. "Casey make a call, we need to get someone in here to help her." Chuck ordered his partner.

"Chuck I can't do that."

Chuck looked up at him, with questioning eyes.

"Chuck it's too late…She's gone." the words came like a knife to his heart.

He shook his head in disbelief. "No. No Casey. Make the call dammitt!"

Casey placed his hand back on Chuck's shoulder and Chuck just about exploded. He jumped to his feet and came at Casey with all he had, pushing him hard against the nearest car. Authorities were about to step in but Casey put his hands up signaling them not to intervene, knowing that Chuck was likely to flash if they tried to.

"I'm sorry Chuck." Casey said as he looked his partner and good friend in the eyes. The tears glistened in his own and he could see Chuck crumbling right before him. Chuck loosened his grip on Casey, eventually releasing him as the realization set in. He brought his hand to his mouth as he turned to look back at his wife on the ground.

Chuck rushed back to her side, kneeling on the hard concrete next to her. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his face. He kissed it, his eyes focused on the wedding ring that adorned her finger.

"Sarah." the tears streamed down his face. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. They were still warm. He pulled the sheet back and laid his head on her chest, in hopes of feeling it rise and fall as she took a breath. He closed his eyes and waited. He felt nothing.

Opening his eyes, his focus shifted to Sarah's protruding belly. His son. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He moved down to her stomach, placing his hands on her.

"No." he cried. The tears fell freely. He pressed his lips against her stomach. He then rested his head against it.

Devon had moved in and knelt down beside Chuck. He placed his hand on Chuck's shoulder as a gesture of comfort. It was all he could do at this point.

"I'm so sorry Chuck." Devon managed to say to his brother in law, who wept, his entire world shattering before him.

Chuck laid there for a several minutes holding his wife and his son in his arms, not wanting to let go. Unable to let go.

"Sir, we need to take her now." A medic announced approaching the man with caution after seeing him attack the large agent earlier.

"Chuck, You have to let go of her now." Devon tried to intervene so Chuck wouldn't lose his cool again.

Chuck bolted upright. "The baby!"

"Chuck, the baby's gone."

"No, Devon. The baby…He just kicked." The look of hope on Chuck's face broke Devon's heart.

"Chuck, no. That's impossible." Devon tried to reason with him.

"Devon I know what I felt. My son just kicked me." Chuck jumped to his feet.

"Chuck it was probably just a reflex. There is no possible way that the baby could still be alive. Sarah has been gone for nearly an hour now."

"Devon."

"I'm so sorry bro." Devon moved in and pulled Chuck in for a hug. "I called Ellie, She's on her way."

Chuck just nodded as the tears fell down his face.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, so don't shoot me! I hope the ending of this chapter didn't turn you all away. If you are not satisfied and are thinking you no longer want to read, please at least give it till Chapter 3 to make that decision. I would really appreciate your reviews on this one. Thanks for reading.**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I guess maybe I had a lot of upset readers with the last chapter. I just want to clarify the chapter was meant to be dramatic not tragic, as is this one. **

**On a side note, I want to mention that there are times that I will refer to Sarah as Agent Walker even though her and Chuck have been married for five years. It's her agent name. When I refer to her in a non-agent capacity, it will be as Sarah Bartowski. I just didn't want anyone to be confused.**

**Because of all the reviews that came in from the last chapter waiting on this one, I am posting almost a week early compared to what I usually do. Hope you enjoy and continue to read.**

**Chapter 3**

It had been nearly two hours since his entire world came crashing down before him. The parking garage was nearly empty with the exception of a few federal agents and police personnel who were working on cleaning up the crime scene and restoring some sense of order.

Chuck sat on the ground with his back propped up against Sarah's car, a mere 5 feet away from where his wife had spent her last moments, taken her last breath. The blood stained pavement a cruel reminder of the events that occurred a few hours prior.

Casey sat beside him. Neither one talked, they just sat there, trying to make some sense of what had transpired today.

Several more minutes passed before Chuck finally was able to break the silence.

"Where's Lilly?" He asked. His voice was hoarse and barely audible

Casey, somewhat shocked by the sound of Chuck's voice infringing on their silence, turned his head to look at him. He then pulled back and continued to stare straight ahead.

"Ellie took her down to her office."

Chuck rubbed at his eyes. Puffy, red and swollen, he looked like hell and felt even worse.

"What do I tell her?"

Casey contemplated the question, he always had an answer for everything, but this time, he was coming up empty. After much deliberation with himself, he finally replied. "I don't know."

"I need to go find her."

Casey nodded in agreement as they both moved to stand up. Chuck was barely standing upright when her felt the bile rise up in his throat. He made a beeline for a nearby trashcan, leaned over it and purged himself. Casey stood by and waited for him to finish.

"Casey?"

Casey turned around to see Morgan approaching.

"Casey….is it…is it true?….Is Sarah…?

Casey gave a nod and averted his gaze back to the ground.

"Oh my God….how can this be?….I can't even…Where's Chuck?" Morgan stumbled over his words.

Casey pointed out Chuck, leaned over the garbage can to Morgan. Morgan waited for Chuck to finish and then made his way over to him.

"Chuck?"

As soon as Chuck saw Morgan, he could feel himself getting choked up again. His eyes watered.

"Chuck, I am so sorry."

"Morgan…I lost her…Sarah's gone…the baby...He's gone." the tears fell freely again.

Morgan pulled his best friend in for a hug. "I can't believe this is happening."

* * *

It was fifteen minutes later, after Chuck collected himself once again, that he made his way down to Ellie's office in the hospital. Casey and Morgan by his side.

"Daddy!" Lilly cried out. She jumped up from her chair, leaving behind her slice of pizza that Devon had secured for her from the cafeteria and ran to her father.

He bent down and picked her up. She hugged him hard, almost as if she were afraid to let go. He held her to him tightly, his hand pressed firmly against the back of her head. Ellie made her way towards her brother. She leaned in and hugged him. She was glad to see he was doing a little better than he had been earlier when she had first arrived. He was in the middle of a major breakdown, It took her a good hour to calm him.

"Daddy can we go home?" Lilly asked.

"Soon, honey, soon. We have to talk first." Chuck made his way over to the chair that Lilly had been sitting in and sat down, propping Lilly up on his lap. She snuggled into him and rested her head against her father's chest.

"Daddy, where's mommy?" She asked.

Chuck swallowed hard, he could feel the tears welling in his eyes. "Well baby, that's what we need to talk about."

"Chuck, we can wait outside, give you two some privacy." Devon said standing up. Chuck nodded.

Morgan, Casey, Devon, and Ellie all got up and headed for the door.

"Ellie, can you stay?" Chuck asked.

"Of course." she replied, making her way back towards them, she took a seat in the chair next to Chuck and watched as the three others left the room, pulling the door shut behind them.

"Daddy I want to see mommy now." Lilly said sitting upright on her father's lap.

"Lilly, you….you can't see mommy." Chuck replied.

"Why not?" She cried.

Ellie could see how incredibly difficult this was for her brother. She placed her hand on Chuck's knee to offer him support.

"Lilly, you know mommy was hurt very badly today."

"The bad man shot her." Lilly offered,

"Yeah." Chuck nodded his head in response. "The bad man shot her."

"Did mommy wake up yet?"

"No baby,….Mommy's not going to wake up."

He could see the tears starting to form in his daughter's big blue eyes, Sarah's eyes.

"Lilly, mommy….mommy died." Chuck choked on his words.

Lilly looked up at her father with confusion. "But when can I see her? She was going to take me for ice cream." The tears flowed steadily down Chuck's face, he looked to his sister begging for help.

Ellie took this opportunity to intervene. "Lilly. When someone dies, they go to Heaven, to live with God. We don't get to see them again, not until….not until it's our turn to go to heaven" Lilly looked confused as she took in her aunt's words. Ellie continued, "You see Lilly, God loved your mommy so much, that he wanted her to come live with him."

"No, I want her to stay here with me. She's my mommy, God has to get his own." Lilly cried and buried her face into her father's shirt.

"Honey, we all want mommy to stay here with us, but it's not our choice. Sweetie I know this is so hard for you to understand right now." Ellie continued as she wiped at her own tears.

"No!…Daddy lets go home….I want to go home."

"Okay Lilly, we'll go home." Chuck finally spoke up.

"Chuck, let me drive you guys."

He just nodded in response as he held his daughter to him. The wetness from her tears, soaking his shirt.

"We have to take Sarah's car. I don't have a car anymore."

Ellie nodded. "Let me just go tell Devon that I'm leaving." Ellie stood up and left the room, leaving Chuck alone with his daughter.

"Daddy, I want mommy!" Lilly cried.

"Me too doodlebug, me too." he held her tight and together they cried.

* * *

Casey walked through his front door and tossed his keys down on the small table in his entryway. He headed for the kitchen and made his way over to the fridge. He threw open the door and retrieved a beer. In one quick motion he popped the top, took a huge swig and took a seat at the table.

"John?" Kathleen called out as she entered the kitchen. "I thought I heard you in here." she said making her way towards him. Casey tipped the bottle back again.

He had called her earlier to let her know what had happened. Kathleen was just as devastated. Chuck and Sarah were family to them. Her and Sarah had become quite close over the past year. Her heart ached for Lilly and for Chuck who would now have to raise his little girl on his own. It was all too familiar to her and she sympathized.

Kathleen came up behind him. She leaned over him and wrapped her arms around him and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "You okay?" she asked.

Casey shook his head no. She leaned in further and tightened her arms around him. Casey placed his hands over her arms and closed his eyes, taking comfort in her embrace and then something happened. Something that hadn't happened in well over 20 years. Casey cried. He cried for Sarah and her unborn son, he cried for Chuck and for Lilly, and he cried for himself and the good friend he lost today.

* * *

Driving Sarah's car, Ellie pulled up to her brother's house and turned off the engine. Lilly had fallen asleep in the back seat and Chuck just sat there for a moment, staring at the house.

"You okay?" Ellie asked.

"No." he replied without feeling. "I don't think I'll ever be okay again." Before giving his sister the chance to respond, Chuck opened his door and stepped out of the car. He opened the back door and unbuckled Lilly's seat belt. Chuck took her teddy bear in one hand and then picked her up without waking her, propping her up over his shoulder. Ellie grabbed Lilly's overnight bag from the back seat, from when Sarah had picked her up this morning.

The three made their way up the front walk to the house. Chuck pulled out his key and opened the front door. Molly greeted them, circling at Chuck's feet.

"I'm going to go lay her down. Can you let Molly out?"

"Sure." Ellie replied.

Chuck headed for the stairs, he stopped in his tracks when the scene in the living room caught his eye. Everything was still in disarray from last night. The pillows, the rose petals, the clothes, the candles. Ellie turned her attention to the living room, to see what had caught his attention.

"I'll clean it up." she said.

Chuck looked away and proceeded up the stairs without a word. He carried Lilly to her room and laid her on her bed. He reached for her butterfly blanket that lay at the bottom of the bed and covered her up, It wasn't until then that Chuck had noticed the blood still on his hands. He leaned down and kissed his daughter before leaving the room. Chuck went directly to his own room and proceeded towards the bathroom. Chuck stopped at the sink. He turned the water on and scrubbed his hands zealously trying his best to remove any trace of her blood.

Once his hands were completely clean, he scooped up a handful of the water, he leaned down and splashed it over his face. Chuck turned off the faucet. He placed a hand on each side of the sink to steady himself. Grabbing a hand towel he stood upright and dried his face. He noticed his reflection in the mirror. He didn't recognize the man staring back at him. He was void of life, empty inside, a shell of a human being. Chuck took note of the blood on his shirt collar. The same collar Sarah had smoothed over that morning when she adjusted his tie, and kissed him goodbye like she always did. Chuck shed himself of the article of clothing and tossed it into the trashcan.

He made his way back out to the bedroom. He stopped at the bed, still unmade. He reached for her bathrobe that was thrown down on his side of the bed and picked it up as he sat down on the edge of the bed. Still holding the satiny material in his hands, he brought it up to his face and inhaled it's scent. It still smelled like her, how could she be gone when there was so much of her still there?

Chuck rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward burying his face in his hands.

"_Thank you for the best anniversary ever."_

_Chuck flashed her a smile. "Thank you for marrying me and giving me the best life ever."_

_Sarah brushed her thumb over his bottom lip, before leaning up to kiss him. "I love you." She said as she pulled away. She sat up in the bed to stretch._

"_Hey, where ya going?" he asked._

"_I just have to…" She stretched her arms. "My back is killing me."_

"_Where?" Chuck rolled to his side and propped himself up. _

_Sarah gestured to her lower back. "It's been bothering me a lot lately."_

"_Here, roll over." Chuck instructed._

_Sarah rolled to her side so that her back was facing him. His hands moved to her lower back and he began to massage the area for her._

"_Mmm thank you." she replied as he provided her with a little relief._

"_It's not from last night is it?" he asked._

"_No like I said it's been acting up lately. Of course, last night probably didn't help my cause any."_

"_I'm sorry." he said._

"_I'm not. Last night was incredible." she replied._

_Chuck smiled. Leaning in he grazed his lips against the side of her neck. "It was pretty incredible wasn't it." he spoke into her ear._

_Sarah smiled thinking about it and Chuck continued to work on her back._

"_I'm sorry I'm going to miss your appointment today. I really want to be there with you."_

"_I know. It's okay, you've been to every appointment. As long as you're there when Charlie's born, I'm good."_

"Chuck?" the sound of Ellie's voice brought him back to reality. He looked up at her. The tears fresh in his eyes.

She sat down on the bed next to him and draped her arm over his shoulder.

"I should have been there. I should have been at that appointment with her today. This wouldn't have happened."

"Chuck, you don't know that. For all we know, if you were there, you could have been killed too. Then where would Lilly be? With no parents at all?"

"I wish it was me."

"Chuck please don't say that."

"It's how I feel!" He snapped back. "I've lost everything." his voice softened.

"You know that's not true…You have a little girl that needs you, more than ever right now, you need to be there for her."

"Ellie…I have nothing to give her…I am completely empty inside…I can't do this alone."

"Chuck, you're not alone…You'll never be alone…I promise you." She pulled him in close and he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I can't stay here Ellie…She's everywhere…it just…it hurts too much."

"Then you and Lilly will stay with us until you're ready. We'll pack some things, we can leave when Lilly wakes up from her nap."

"What about Molly?" he asked.

"We'll bring her too."

* * *

The large burly man rolled the stretcher containing the body bag of one Sarah Bartowski. He rolled it up to the hearse and loaded the body inside. He made his way around to the driver's side door and jumped in the car.

"There's you body boys, now what?" the man said looking in his rearview mirror.

CJ jumped up from his seat. He proceeded to unzip the body bag, coming face to face with one Agent Sarah Walker.

Jimmy stood up and handed his brother the syringe with a shaky hand. "This better work CJ." he said.

"Would you relax already, I know what I'm doing, it's going to work." CJ turned his attention back to Sarah. "She really is quite fetching isn't she?"

"Who cares CJ, just give her the drug before it's too late."

CJ rolled his eyes. Syringe in hand, he moved in and proceeded to inject her with it's contents.

"Is it working CJ? Did it work?" Jimmy asked.

"Would you relax, it takes a minute or so to get into her system."

Matthews' phone rang from the front seat. He answered it.

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Jimmy went on. "I mean really CJ, what the hell were we thinking? We're never going to get away with this."

"Dad's right, you are the weak link, how do you even sleep at night, knowing you are such a failure?

"Boys!" Matthews yelled out from the driver's seat. "The coroner wants to know when he's going to get his money."

"Tell him, he'll get his money, tonight! After we're sure we've pulled this off."

"I don't feel good about this CJ. What happens when dad finds out we didn't follow his orders?"

"Would you relax, he's too busy right now dealing with his hired gun failing to complete his task, and you know he's pissed about that car bomb not taking out it's intended target. As far as he's concerned we completed our mission successfully. The woman is dead."

Just then Sarah began to stir. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she was greeted by her two attackers staring down at her.

"Ahh welcome back Agent Walker."

_**

* * *

**__**Okay so does this make it better? Or are you all still going to stop reading? Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. More will be revealed in the next chapter. Thanks for reading.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**First I would like to thank you all for your reviews and your interest in my story. This story definitely has a different tone to it compared to the first two parts in this series. Another long chapter for you all. I debated splitting it up into two chapters but decided to give it all to you at once. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 4**

Devon ran out of the house to greet his wife and brother in law as they pulled up. Ellie helped Chuck carry his and Lilly's bags inside the house. Lilly grabbed Molly's leash and jumped out of the car.

Once inside the house Devon grabbed Chuck's bag from him along with the bag Ellie was carrying and brought them to the guest room.

Steven and Dylan ran into the room to greet their uncle and cousin.

"Chuck why don't I fix you guys something to eat." Ellie spoke up as she bent down to pick up Dylan who held his arms out to her.

"Thanks Ellie, but I'm not hungry. I'm sure Lilly will want something though."

Ellie sighed. "Well I be sure to make enough in case you change your mind."

Devon emerged from the guest room. "Your bags are on the bed bro. Lilly's bed is all set up in the boy's room."

"Thanks Devon."

"Can I get you a drink or something?" Devon asked.

"Huh? Oh , no, I'm good." Chuck reached down to the dog that was circling his feet and removed her leash. Molly walked around the room in circles for a couple of minutes before finally settling down in the corner of the room, where she laid down.

"Lilly, come play legos with me." Steven spoke up grabbing her hand. Lilly turned to her father awaiting his approval.

He offered a small smile. "Go ahead Lil."

Lilly hesitantly walked off with her cousin to the other room. Chuck took a seat on the couch next to Devon and Ellie headed towards the kitchen with Dylan still in her arms.

"Mama, where Aunt Sarah?" Dylan asked.

Ellie clenched her teeth at his question, fortunately they were out earshot and Chuck didn't have to hear it.

"Honey, don't you remember what Daddy told you about Aunt Sarah? She went to heaven, to be with God."

"When she come home mama?"

Ellie wiped at the single tear the fell from her eye.

"Dylan she's not coming home." She pulled her young son close and held him tightly. She never thought she would have to explain death to children so young, how would they ever understand?

* * *

"Relax, Agent walker." CJ instructed. " I don't want to restrain you, but I will if I have to." he said as she struggled to move on the stretcher.

"Wh…why…can't…I…move?" she found it difficult to speak as she became more and more coherent.

"You were given an extremely potent concoction of Symphenerine, and Anilitarin. Side effects cause one's heart rate to slow. So much so, that the heartbeat is nearly undetectable. One's breathing slows, again to a stage where it is basically undetectable. The body then retreats to a state of temporary paralysis….Not to worry though. Now that I have given you the anecdote, your body will return to it's normal state over a short period of time.

"Y…you…shot me."

Jimmy looked on from his seat. He tapped his foot nervously causing the whole vehicle to shake. CJ glared at him momentarily and he stopped.

"Yes, well, we didn't really have much of a choice in the matter." CJ continued. "Again, not to worry most of that was for show, I'll remove the bullet once we reach our destination. A simple procedure really, it's barely imbedded in you. Looking closely, I can even see the fragments from the surface."

"My…baby?"

"All these questions Agent Walker."

The tears glistened in her eyes.

"Alright, I'll give you this last one but that's it for now. Your baby is fine. The drugs that we gave you should have no effect on the child, they aren't absorbed directly into your bloodstream and because they are virtually harmless assuming the dosage is correct, there will be no lasting effects, so you can put your mind at ease. With that said, we are done with the 20 questions."

Jimmy's cell phone rang. He reached into his pocket to retrieve it. "Oh God!" he said staring at the screen and attracting CJ's attention.

"What is it?" he asked his younger brother.

"It's dad."

* * *

Dinner was quiet. Chuck sat at the table with them, but barely touched any food, opting for a beer instead. Lilly picked at her plate, complaining that her stomach hurt too bad to eat.

After their late dinner, Chuck gave Lilly a quick bath and read her a bedtime story. Her cousins were already sound to sleep by the time he tucked her in to the top bunk. Chuck leaned over her and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight doodlebug. I love you." Chuck said pulling away, he was just about to head out of the room.

"Daddy!"

"What is it baby?" he asked making his way back over to her.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" she pleaded.

It didn't take much convincing on her part. How could Chuck deny her after all she had been through today? "Yeah. Sure you can." he replied.

Lilly sat up in the bed and swung her legs over, dangling them off the top bunk. Chuck reached out for her and she wrapped her arms around him as he carried her off to the guest room.

Chuck tucked her into his bed. He walked over to the light switch and turn the lights out.

"Daddy!"

He made his way back over to the bed.

"What is it Lil?"

"Will you lay with me?"

Chuck nodded and made his way over to the other side of the bed. He laid down next to her, folding his arms under his head, he stared up at the ceiling.

"Daddy."

"Yeah?"

"I miss mommy."

"Me too." he replied.

"Daddy."

"Yeah?"

"Mommy always sings to me when she tucks me in. You have to sing."

Chuck turned to face her. "What did she sing?"

"She sings Lilly's song." Lilly moved in closer to her father and snuggled into him.

"Honey, I…I don't…know that song."

Lilly looked up at her father with tears in her eyes and just when he thought his heart couldn't possibly break anymore than it was, she proved him wrong.

"But mommy always sings it before I go to sleep." she cried. This was news to Chuck and eye opening at the same time as to just how long it had been since he tucked his child in at night.

"Can you teach it to me, so I know?" he asked.

Lilly began to sing softly the words to the song her mother made up just for her.

"_**Good night sweetheart, good night my love **_

_**Good night Lilly, my angel from above**_

_**Sleep tight sweetheart, sleep tight my love**_

_**Sleep tight Lilly, my angel from above."**_

The tears streamed down her face as she finished singing the song to her father.

"Mama made that song up for you?" he asked.

"Uh huh." She nodded her head.

"Okay, I'll try it." He wiped the tears from his daughter's face. He softly sang her the words that her mother would sing to her every night as he stroked her forehead with his hand, brushing the hair from her eyes. Lilly moved closer to her father and he held his little girl in his arms as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Sarah had finally regained the feeling in her legs. She wiggled her toes and was pleased to see them respond. Her captors had moved her to a house that appeared to be in the middle of nowhere. From what she had seen of it, it appeared to be pretty old and possibly abandoned. It was dirty and in shambles. It was dark outside, so Sarah didn't recognize any landmarks, and at this point wasn't even sure if she was still in California.

She didn't get much of a look at her surroundings once inside the house either, before they whisked her up to a small room at the top of the stairs. The only items in the room were a twin size bed in the corner, an old lamp, minus the shade, that sat on the floor next to the bed, and a folding chair that was left in the middle of the floor. There was a small adjoining bathroom and a small window on the other wall, but it was completely boarded up, allowing no light to come in and no one to see out.

Sarah had been placed on the bed and left, while her captors reconvened downstairs. she could hear them arguing but couldn't make out what was being said. She thought back to the conversation they had earlier on the way over. Their father had called. From what she had gathered from the conversation he was angry and demanding to know why a large sum of his money was being paid out to three paramedics and a doctor. Sarah must have blacked out again after that because the next thing she remembered was pulling up to this house.

Several minutes had passed, then she heard the footsteps approaching. The men entered the room, carrying medical supplies. CJ approached her.

"Stay still." he said "or this is going to hurt more than it has to."

* * *

It was nearly and hour later when Chuck finally emerged from the bedroom. He made his way to the kitchen where he grabbed himself another beer from the fridge. He popped the top off the bottle and made his way to the living room.

Ellie and Devon were cuddled up on the couch together. Chuck took a seat in the arm chair adjacent to them. He tipped back his bottle and took a swig of his beer.

"How is she doing?" Ellie asked him.

"I just listened to her cry herself to sleep for an hour, how the hell do you think she's doing El?"

Ellie looked up at her brother in shock over his harsh words towards her.

"Bro come on." Devon spoke up.

"I'm sorry…Ellie, I'm sorry, I just…I'm not doing so well here. There's just a lot on my mind you know. I'm just…not in a good place."

Ellie sat upright and scooted to the end of the couch so she was closer to him.

"Listen, I spoke with a friend of mine at the hospital. A psychiatrist. She does a lot of work with children, counseling stuff. She's agreed to fit Lilly in in the morning. You too Chuck. Help you deal with all of this."

"Ellie, I don't want to talk to a shrink. I just want my wife back and no doctor can do that for me."

"Chuck, Lilly needs this and maybe she can help you figure out how to help Lilly through all this."

After giving it some more thought, Chuck nodded. "Okay….Anything to help Lilly."

"Good." Ellie replied.

"Look, I think I'm going to step out for a bit, get some air, maybe just go for a drive." Chuck stood up from his chair. He took one last drink from his bottle and set it down on the coffee table.

"You want me to come with you?" Ellie asked.

"No. I think…I just need some time alone."

Ellie nodded. Chuck threw on his jacket and headed out the door.

Ellie scooched herself back over to Devon on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm so worried about him." She said.

"I know. But he's going to get through this babe, we all will."

* * *

Sarah sat up on the bed and stretched., she was extremely sore, especially her shoulder and her back was killing her. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and placed her feet on the floor. Just as she did, she felt the baby kick hard. Her hand immediately went to her stomach. she smiled. It was the first movement she felt from him since that morning. It was reassuring.

"Charlie, what did we get ourselves into?" she rubbed her stomach. "Don't worry baby, I'm going to get us out of here, and if I don't, your daddy will find us." She spoke reassuring words, more for herself than the baby.

Sarah turned her attention to the bandage on her shoulder. Her captor had actually done quite a good job with the dressing and the bullet removal. of course she had been awake during the whole ordeal, which was not pleasant, but fortunately for her the wound was not deep, which she found completely puzzling considering she was shot at such close range. whoever this guy was he definitely had some medical knowledge.

Sarah's stomach growled, her mouth was dry. She was extremely hungry and thirsty, not having had anything to eat or drink since that morning. She felt lightheaded, not sure if it was from the ordeal of what she had been through and the drugs she had been given or simply due to the fact that she needed something to eat.

Sarah tried to stand to stretch her legs. the room began to spin around her and she lost her balance, falling back to a sitting position on the bed. Just then she heard the approaching foot steps once again. The door swung open and the younger man approached her carrying a small brown paper bag.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Sarah didn't respond. She just watched him. She took the opportunity to take in his features. He was young. Younger than she had thought at first. If she had to guess she would say 19, maybe 20. How someone so young and inexperienced could shoot her and kidnap her baffled her. She was Sarah Walker, super spy. Sure she wasn't the hardened spy she used to be, before Chuck, before Lilly. She wasn't exactly into the spy game like she used to be, but had she really slipped so much that so, that a mere boy could take her down. No, she was outnumbered, not to mention extremely pregnant and she had Lilly's safety to worry about. Had she retaliated the outcome could have been much worse. At least Lilly had gotten away, or at least she thinks she got away. Oh God, what if, what if she didn't? What if they took her too, or worse, what if they hurt her, killed her. Sure Sarah had taught her daughter well, which Lilly had proved when she took out the man known as CJ, but she's only four, she could never take on two grown men, she's just a baby.

"Not talking huh?" he asked pulling up the folding chair close to the bed he took a seat so he was facing her directly. "Are you hungry?" he opened the bag and pulled out a sandwich and a bottle of water. Sarah eyed the food.

"Where's my daughter? Is she okay?"

Jimmy looked down at the ground, remembering the scared look on the little girl's face as the scene played back in his head and he felt ashamed for causing it.

"She's fine."

"Where is she?" Sarah demanded.

"I don't know, she's with her family I guess." he replied.

"I'm her family!" Sarah exclaimed. "Why are you doing this? What do you want with me?"

"Look lady, I don't want anything with you. I just do what I'm told."

"What you're told? By who? Who do you work for?"

"By my father okay!" Jimmy snapped back. "You ruined his life, he wants revenge."

"What? Who is your father?"

"Look it doesn't matter."

"You shot me and kidnapped me! It matter's to me!"

Jimmy's gaze fell to the floor again. He found it hard to look at her.

"Look." She continued. "You're never going to get away with this. My team will come looking for me."

"Your team thinks you're dead." Jimmy blurted the words out.

Sarah looked at him in shock. "What?"

"As far as the outside world goes, Agent Sarah Walker or Sarah Bartowski if you prefer, was killed this morning. No one is looking for you."

* * *

Chuck had been driving for nearly an hour. His legs pressed tightly against the dashboard of Sarah's car. He couldn't bring himself to move the seat back, so he left it in the position she has last had it. He had no specific destination in mind, all he knew was that he couldn't just sit still at his sister's house. Everyone looking at him, scrutinizing his every move, waiting for him to crack.

His cell phone rang, and despite the fact that he didn't want to talk to anyone he retrieved it from his pocket. If it was Ellie calling and he didn't answer, she would probably send out a search party. Chuck was surprised to see Casey's number instead on his caller ID.

"Hello?" he answered the phone.

"Chuck."

"Casey, what's going on?'

"I just got off the phone with Beckman, She's having the security tapes from the parking garage sent over to Castle tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know. I'll go over them and see if there are any clues. Maybe I'll recognize the attacker."

"What time will they be there. I'll go over them with you."

"Chuck, no! You don't have to do that…. I don't think it's a good idea for you to watch the tapes."

"Casey I could flash, I'm watching them."

Casey knew It was no use arguing him, so why bother. "Fine. Beckman says they should be there by noon."

"Alright, I'll meet you then."

Chuck was about to hang up when Casey spoke up once again.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Do you guys need anything?… Lilly?"

"Thanks Casey, but we're fine. All I need is to find the bastard who did this."

"We will Chuck, we'll find him and we'll make him pay."

"I'll see you tomorrow Casey."

"Yeah, see ya."

Chuck hung up the phone and tucked it back in his pocket as he brought the car to a stop. He stared out at the beach in front of him. The moonlight glistened off the water.

Chuck stepped out of the car and slowly made his way down to the beach. He walked for a while, taking in the night air and the ocean breeze until he came to their spot. They had spent the morning after their first date watching the sunrise from that very spot. Despite, the fact that that was the very moment they entered into a fake relationship with one another for nearly 3 years, he had always considered that their first real moment together as a couple. They came back to that spot often, even brought their daughter there from time to time. It was theirs, they found solace in it. It held many happy memories for the two lovers.

Chuck sat down in the sand. Closing his eyes, he pretended she was sitting there next to him. He inhaled deeply and could smell her perfume mixed with the smell of the ocean, wafting by him in the breeze.

He was taken by surprise when he felt her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in to whisper in his ear. "You're so tense." her hot breath tickled his neck. She began to gently massage his shoulders and he relaxed under her touch.

"You work too much, you need to take some time off." She spoke softly to him. "You're going to get burnt out if you keep going at this rate. When you're burnt out you make mistakes." Her hands continued to work him over like magic wands. "I need you with me Chuck. I love you." She leaned in to kiss the side of his neck.

A fog horn in the distance sounded, shaking him from his thoughts. Chuck opened his eyes and she was gone again. He was confronted with an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. He sighed heavily and wiped at his eyes. Chuck fell to his back and stared up at the night sky. The stars twinkled brightly. Had the circumstances been a little different, one might say that it was a gorgeous night.

Chuck watched as a shooting star shot across the sky above. He closed his eyes and made a wish. He wished for her to come back to him. He wished he could go back in time, stop all of this from happening. He wished he had done things differently. He wished he was a better husband, father, a better man. He wished that he had protected his family the way a good man would have. He wished his son was given the chance at life that he deserved. And he wished he could ease his daughter's pain, his pain.

* * *

Sarah sat on the bed, her back pressed against the wall. She popped the last bite of her sandwich into her mouth and chewed thoroughly. She chased it with a swig from her water bottle. She had been hesitant about taking the food from him, fearing that he may have poisoned it, despite his claims that it was perfectly safe to eat. Sarah couldn't hold out any longer, the baby needed to eat. She convinced herself that if they wanted her and the baby dead, they would have just killed her when they had the chance.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The next morning…..**_

Chuck emerged from the bathroom. He had quite the restless night. Lilly woke up two times with nightmares, each time it took him a good hour to get her to fall back to sleep.

Chuck quickly threw on a pair of sweats. He emerged from the bedroom and made his way out to the living room. He grabbed Molly's leash from the hook it was hanging on and made his way over to her. She laid in the corner of the room, her head resting on a pillow. Normally she was at his feet before he even made it out of bed. Chuck knelt down, he pet her and scratched her ears.

"I know Molly, I miss her too." He leaned down and kissed her nose. Molly whimpered. Chuck hooked the leash to her collar. "Come on girl, I'll take you for your run."

Chuck stood up and took the end of the leash in his hand. Molly sluggishly stood up. Chuck made his way to the kitchen where Lilly was sitting at the table with her cousins, Ellie and Devon, munching on her cereal. Chuck smiled, he was happy to see that she was eating something, even if it was Froot Loops.

"Daddy!" Lilly exclaimed, She bolted from her chair and ran to her father, wrapping her arms tightly around his legs.

"Hey Doodlebug, You eating some breakfast?" he asked.

"Come sit with me Daddy. Sit next to me."

"Sweetie, I'm gonna take Molly for a quick run. She's used to going out every day and she didn't get out yesterday."

"No daddy! Don't go!"

"Sweetie it's just a quick run."

"No! Please daddy, please don't leave me." She clung to him squeezing his legs as tight as her tiny little arms would allow.

"Okay, Lilly." he bent down to her level and she wrapped her arms around his neck, tears trickling down her face. Chuck wrapped his arms around her and held her to him while his family looked on.

Devon wiped his mouth and stood up from the table. He cleared his plate and placed it in the dishwasher before making his way over to Chuck and Lilly.

"Bro, I can take Molly, I was going to go for a run anyway before work." Devon reached for the leash.

"You sure?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to have some company for a change."

Chuck handed Devon the leash and stood up.

"Thanks." he said. "Come on Lilly, your cereal is getting soggy.." Chuck took hold of her hand and guided her back to the table and to her chair. He took a seat beside her.

"Chuck can I get you something to eat?" Ellie asked. "I can make you some eggs or an omelet or something." Chuck though back to yesterday morning, his breakfast with Sarah. She had made him an incredible omelet, that he shared with her.

"Chuck?" Ellie called out his name as she waved her hand in front of his face.

"Huh?….Oh, no…maybe just a cup of coffee."

Ellie stood up from the table to pour Chuck some coffee. Steven and Dylan ran off into the other room to watch cartoons. Chuck watched his daughter spoon her cereal into her mouth. Ellie placed the cup in front of him. She took a seat at the table across from him.

"Chuck I spoke with Miranda, she's expecting us around 9:00."

"Who?" he took a sip from the mug she placed in front of him.

"My friend Miranda…Dr. Nichols, the psychiatrist."

"Huh…Oh, right."

"I'll drive you guys."

"Ellie, I have to go in to work today, I have some unfinished business to take care of with Casey."

"What? Chuck, no…If this has something to do with what happened, I really think you should leave it to Casey." She pleaded.

"Not on your life. Look Ellie, he's not going to get away with this, it's not even an option."

"Chuck…I don't want you to risk getting hurt….She wouldn't want that either." Ellie looked down at the cup of coffee that she held tightly in her hands.

"Ellie, don't…don't do that. Don't throw her in my face like that, telling me what she would want for me. This is something I NEED to do."

"I'm sorry Chuck, I didn't mean to upset you, I just, I can't sit by and watch something bad happen, enough has happened already."

"I'll be fine Ellie." Chuck stood up from the table.

"Daddy where are you going?" Lilly asked, starting to get upset again the idea of her father leaving her.

"Lilly, I'm going to go get your clothes ready, we have an appointment this morning. Finish your cereal and then come get dressed."

Chuck headed out of the kitchen and made his way for the bedroom to change himself, since he wasn't going for a run.

* * *

Forty five minutes later, Ellie, Chuck and Lilly found themselves pulling up to the hospital. Ellie opted for street parking, so as not to stir up any upsetting memories for her niece and her brother.

"Daddy, I don't want to go here." Lilly spoke up from the back seat.

"Honey we have to, we have an appointment."

Ellie parked the car and Chuck retrieved his daughter from the back seat. Lilly grabbed her bear in one hand and her father's hand with the other as they headed into the hospital.

Chuck watched his daughter through the double glass window, while, Dr. Nichols spoke with her. He watched his daughter working diligently at the table, drawing a picture. She seemed to be at ease as the doctor spoke with her.

"Look Ellie, when we're done here, do you think that you can take Lilly for a while? Like I said earlier, I'm meeting up with Casey and then I have to go over to the funeral home,….make arrangements." His voice trailed off.

"Chuck, I can do that for you if it's too much." Ellie offered.

"No… I want to do it…Sarah and I have talked about this before….in our line of work…Anyway…I know what she would want."

"Okay. I'll pick the boys up from their sitters and maybe I can take them to the park or the zoo for the afternoon."

"Thanks Ellie." he replied as she came up behind him and placed her hand on his back.

The two looked up when they heard the door of Dr. Nichols' office open.

"Daddy!" Lilly ran to her father. He bent down and picked her up.

"Hey doodlebug, how did it go?" he asked.

"Good. Look I made a picture." She held up the picture she had drawn of her family.

"Look daddy, there's you," She pointed to the tall lanky man in her picture. "Here's mommy." Lilly pointed the smaller person with the long blonde hair and the round belly. "There's me." She pointed to the small person standing between her mother and father. "And there's Molly." She excitedly pointed to the dog in the corner of the page.

"Wow Lilly, this is great."

The doctor made her way over to Chuck, Ellie and Lilly. "Lilly thank you for introducing me to Mr. Snuggles." The doctor said referring to the bear that she clutched in her arm. "I'll be seeing you again in a couple of days okay."

"Okay." Lilly replied.

"Mr. Bartowski?" Dr. Nichols said turning her attention to Lilly's father. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, right." Chuck set Lilly down. "Daddy's turn Lil."

"Lilly, why don't we go down to the cafeteria and get a chocolate milk." Ellie spoke up.

"But I want to stay with daddy." She whined.

"Honey, daddy has to go in to see Dr. Nichols on his own just like you did. It won't be long. Go with Aunt Ellie. Will you bring me back some chocolate milk too?"

Lilly shook her head. "Okay." She reached for her aunt's hand and the two walked off down the hall.

"Come on in Chuck." Dr. Nichols gestured towards the door for Chuck to enter her office.

Chuck hesitantly walked in and took a seat at one of the chairs in front of her desk. Miranda walked around the desk and took a seat in her chair.

"Chuck, first I just want to say, I am so sorry about everything you're going through. When Ellie called me yesterday and told me what had happened….I just…My heart really goes out to you and to Lilly, she is and adorable little girl. A real spitfire."

Chuck smiled. "Yeah, she takes after her mother." His smile quickly faded. "Anyway, what's the verdict doc? Will my daughter be okay?"

"It's going to take time Chuck. She witnessed and suffered through a terrible ordeal. She's displaying some symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This doesn't go away easily, but over time and with therapy I think she'll be okay."

"She won't let me leave her side. She's having nightmares."

"Yes, well that is all to be expected. She needs reassurance now. Death is hard for a child her age to understand. She doesn't know where her mother went, just that people keep telling her she's not coming back. She's afraid you'll leave her too."

Chuck shook his head and wiped at a tear that was making it's way down his face.

"I hate that she's going through this. If there was anything I could do to take away her pain I would….Doctor… what do I do?"

"You love her, you be there for her, you reassure her and you let people help you."

Chuck nodded. He closed his eyes and rubbed at his temple.

"How are you doing Chuck?"

The question caught him off guard. He looked up at her.

"I realize that question may seem a bit ridiculous, but Chuck you need to know that people are there for you too. I know right now your main priority has been your daughter, but you need to take time for yourself. You need to take time to grieve. You have suffered a great loss, not just Sarah, but your son."

Chuck shook his head, "I can't do that doctor. I'm not ready. I'm not ready to let them go."

* * *

Sarah's eyes fluttered open. It had been a long night for her. She had managed to doze off a few hours ago, the day taking it's toll on her. Her heart sunk when Jimmy told her that everyone thought she was dead. They wouldn't be looking for her. If she was going to get out of there and back to her family she was going to have to do this herself.

Sarah rubbed the sleep from her eyes and rolled onto her side. With the window boarded up the room was so dimly lit it was difficult to decipher whether or not it was daytime or still night time. She jumped up in the bed when she made out the figure of CJ sitting in the chair staring at her. She moved quickly to reach for the lamp and turned it on.

"Sleep well?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" she spat back.

"I guess not, just trying to be polite I guess."

Sarah rolled her eyes at his response.

CJ stood up from the chair and made his way over to her. His hand reached out for her and she pulled back.

"Relax, I'm just checking your dressing." He said.

"Don't worry about it, it's fine."

"Have it your way." he pulled back. He grabbed a bag that was sitting on the floor and tossed it down on the bed next to her. "There's some clothes in there and I put some supplies in the bathroom, you can get yourself cleaned up if you want. There's some food in there too if you're hungry."

CJ Made his way towards the door and left her sitting there alone.

Sarah grabbed the bag. She pulled out the clothing items and made a face as she looked them over. She then looked down at her own clothing. It was dirty, blood stained and in shambles. Deciding that it was better than what she was wearing, she stood up and made her way to the bathroom with them.

Sarah flipped on the light switch in the bathroom and was pleased to see some towels, shampoo and soap. She smiled as she quickly shed her clothing and jumped in the shower. The hot water felt good beating down on her aching back, how she wished Chuck was there to massage it for her. He was always so attentive with things like that. Sarah closed her eyes. She imagined the water was his hands, working out all the kinks.

Sarah quickly washed herself and her hair, careful not to get her shoulder dressing soaked. She wanted to get out and dressed before one of her captors decided to pay her another visit.

The clothes were big on her but at least they were comfortable and they were clean so right away it was a big improvement. Sarah made her way out of the bathroom and headed back over to the bed. She sat down with her legs crossed and brought the bag to her lap, she reached in and pulled out a white bag from a bakery. She peered inside and saw two oversized muffins. She inhaled their scent. They smelled incredible. She set the white bag down on the bed and continued to rummage through the bag. She pulled out a loaf a bread and a jar of peanut butter. She laid them out on the bed. She reached back into the bag and pulled out a bunch bananas, two apples and a bag of chips. Glancing across the room, for the first time she noticed the case of bottled water on the floor in the corner of the room.

She was so hesitant to eat anything these guys gave her, but her stomach was growling and she had the baby to think about. Sarah picked up the bag of muffins and pulled one out. She examined it thoroughly. Smelling it, she broke it apart and examined the inside. She brought a small piece of it to her mouth and tasted it. There was no foul odor or taste to it. Sarah swallowed it and opted to try a larger piece. She broke it off and popped it in her mouth. It was good. If she was going to die of food poisoning, at least the food was good.

* * *

Chuck watched as Casey played back the video footage on the large monitor. He watched as the man approached Sarah, gun in hand. Chuck's heart ached for her. She was right there in front of him, so close, he felt he could reach out and touch her.

Casey noticed Chuck getting emotional as he stared up at his wife up on the monitor, he paused the tape.

"Chuck, why don't you just let me do this you don't need to be here."

"I'm fine Casey, keep it rolling." Chuck replied, never adverting his eyes from the screen.

Casey started the video up again. The man pulled the gun on Sarah. Casey zoomed in on the video and ran the man's picture through the government's database. Nothing came up with the facial recognition software.

"I got nothing." Casey announced, "How about you? Did you flash?"

Chuck shook his head no. "He's not in the intersect."

Chuck and Casey continued to watch the monitor as the van pulled up and another man jumped out. Casey immediately began running the software again on the second man, again he came up with nothing.

Both men watched the screen as the second man grabbed Lilly by the arm. Chuck became enraged. He watched Sarah pull a gun on him and then couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his four year old daughter kick the man in the groin, she then delivered a right hook to his face and swept his leg bringing him to the ground.

"Damn." Casey replied. "You trained her well."

"I didn't do that, that's all Sarah. I had no idea she could do that."

Chuck and Casey continued to watch the screen. They watched Sarah yell at Lilly to run and they watched the man with the gun pull the trigger on Sarah.

Chuck gasped as he watched his wife fall to the ground. The men knelt down beside her. Chuck and Casey continued to look on, intrigued. At first they assumed that the men were checking for a pulse, or checking out the damage they caused. Chuck saw something in the one man's hand but he couldn't make out what it was. He tried to zoom in but the man's back was to him.

"What the hell is he doing?" Chuck asked.

Casey made a few more adjustments with the video footage zooming in, but it was just too bad of an angle to see anything more. Finally the men stood, up. They appeared to be arguing, but not for long. The two jumped into the van and it sped off.

Casey tried to zoom in on the van, to get a plate number, but all he could get was the side of the van.

The video footage continued. Chuck watched his wife lying on the pavement, dying before his eyes. Lilly came running over to her mother. He watched as she threw herself down on her and cried. The video went on from there. They watched Casey arrive on the scene, the medical personnel and finally Chuck.

Casey shut off the video. "I'll get these photos out to every agent out there. We're going to find these guys.

Just as the men were about to wrap things up, General Beckman's face came up on the screen. "Colonel Casey…..Agent Carmichael?…I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"It's my base isn't it?" he replied.

"Well yes, it's just….Chuck…I'm very sorry about Sarah….She was….she was a phenomenal woman."

Chuck averted his gaze to the floor while Beckman spoke of his late wife.

"She will truly be missed Chuck, and I want to assure you, that we are doing all we can to find and apprehend her killer…In fact, we may have a lead."

This certainly caught Chuck's attention.

He looked up and moved in closer to the monitor. A picture of an older man in his late forties maybe even early fifties, with silver hair in an orange jumpsuit appeared on the screen.

"Recognize him?" Beckman asked.

Chuck took in the man's features. He looked familiar and then it dawned on him. He had aged but it was definitely him.

"Curtis Baxter."

"Son of a bitch." Casey replied.

"We've just learned that Curtis Baxter, the business tycoon who was financing Agent Shaw during his time with the ring, along with several of his associates you put away five years ago, were released from the state penitently early last week."

"You think he's responsible for all this?" Casey asked.

"It's a possibility. Apparently he spent a lot of time in prison talking about his revenge he would one day have on the three agents that put him there. Given the string events that went down yesterday I'd say he's worth looking at."

"We'll bring him in for questioning." Casey responded.

"Keep me updated." Beckman replied before signing off.

"Look Chuck, I'll round up a team and we'll go find him, bring him in."

"I want to talk to him when you do." Chuck replied.

"Of course, but right now, why don't you go home, get some rest, clear your head."

"Yeah, I have some things I need to take care of first."

Casey frowned as he released one of his grunts. "Go home Chuck."

Casey grabbed his belongings and headed out of Castle.

Chuck sat down and looked up at the screen again, he rewound the video footage to the beginning and began to play it once again. He froze the screen on her face as she and Lilly entered the parking garage. She was smiling, absolutely glowing following her doctor's appointment. She was happy.

"Agent Carmichael." the young agent addressed him as he approached.

"Yeah, what is it Adams?"

"Sir this just came for you." Agent Adams handed Chuck the small package and made his exit.

Chuck opened the small brown box and pulled out it's contents. His heart stopped. He knew right away what it was. Her spy will. He popped open the small red box and pulled out the letter. With tears in his eyes he began to read.

_**My Darling Chuck,**_

_**If you are reading this it means that I am dead. **_

_**I want you to know that you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Before I met you, I never would have imagined my life would turn out the way it did. You showed me what love was. You showed me how to truly live and you made me a better person. **_

_**I loved you Chuck, I loved you with everything I had and I'm sorry I had to leave you. You and our daughter meant everything to me and if there was any way I could undo what has been done, you have to know that I would in a heartbeat. **_

_**I hope that when you get this, you'll be an old man, and that will mean we lived an incredibly long, happy life with one another.**_

_**Take care of our daughter, be there for her and let her know how much I loved her. I will be with you both always. **_

_**All My Love,**_

_**Sarah**_

The tears flowed steadily down his face. Her last words to him, played over and over in his head. He folded up the piece of paper and placed it back in the red box it came in. He wiped at his eyes. Picked up his belongings and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Sarah paced the room, her hand protectively caressing her stomach. She had been contemplating all the different ways she would escape, how she could attack them.

The baby kicked hard against her palm. It always came back him. Sure she had the physical capabilities to take these amateurs out, but she feared for him. One bad blow is all it would take. She couldn't risk it. If anything ever happened to him and she could have prevented it, she would never forgive herself. No, there had to be another way.

* * *

"What do you mean the body was taken to the crematory?" Chuck stood up and leaned over the funeral director's desk as if he were ready to pounce on him.

"Sir, please do not get excited. Look it's all right here in the order." The man held up a piece of paper, carefully outlining the details of her funeral, right from the cremation of the body down to the cemetery plot.

"Who authorized this?" Chuck demanded.

"Sir…she did." the man pointed to the bottom of the page where he saw Sarah's signature clear as day, he scrolled over, it was dated a week ago.

Chuck shook his head. "No!…No…she did not do this….she would have told me…I want you call the crematory, get her body back here now."

"Sir, I'm sorry, I can't do that."

Chuck made his way around the desk. He grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him close. "And why the hell not?" He asked.

"Sir, I'm sorry, it's too late. The cremation has already taken place."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Well? Your thoughts? Good? Bad? Confusing? Thanks for reading. I look forward to your comments.**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you everyone for your continued reviews. I want to thank all of you who are sticking with this story. And now without further ado….**

**Chapter 5**

"What do you mean they brought her body to the crematory?" Ellie asked, after listening to her brother go off on a tirade for the past 20 minutes.

Chuck pulled the photocopy of the funeral plan from his coat pocket and threw it down on the table in front of her. Ellie looked it over.

"Chuck, Sarah signed this?... Last week?"

"No! She didn't, she wouldn't. I know my wife, if she made these changes she would have told me. We told each other everything. This is a big decision Ellie, it's not like changing her mind about what flavor of ice cream she's picking up at the grocery store."

"I don't understand. If Sarah didn't do this, then who did? And why?"

"I don't know. Why would someone kill her?"

"Well, does the funeral director remember her coming in?"

"Yeah get this, the new funeral director; it's only his third day on the job. Apparently the former funeral director skipped town last week without a word. Left no forwarding contact information or anything."

"Oh my God. What are you going to do?"

"What can I do? They already burned my wife's body. They want to give me a box of her ashes. None of this makes any sense." Chuck stopped his excessive pacing and plopped down on the couch, burying his head in his hands. "I can't believe all this is happening. It's like a never ending nightmare."

Ellie sat down next to her brother and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"None of this seems real…I still feel her Ellie…I still feel connected to her, I still feel her with me, how could she be gone?"

"Chuck, she'll always be with you."

"I had to call Sarah's grandparents and her father this morning, break the news to them. Her grandmother started having heart palpitations while I was on the phone with them, and her father… her father actually cried. Jack Burton cried."

Ellie leaned in and rested her head against her brother's shoulder. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. How hard all of this is for you…. I miss her Chuck… She was my sister, my friend…. I know what she meant to you, and how excited you both were to be having another child…a son. My heart is breaking for you." She cried.

Chuck sat upright and brought his arm around his sister. Sometimes he forgot that other people loved her, and they lost her too.

"Sarah's grandparents are flying in tonight. The service is tomorrow. I'm going to put them up in a hotel while they're here."

"What time are they getting in?"

"Around 6."

"What about Sarah's dad?"

"He's out of the country. He can't show anyway. There will be CIA there and he's a wanted man. They wouldn't hesitate to take him in. He'll drop in when he gets back to the states to see Lilly."

"Is there anything you need for tomorrow?"

"I don't know. I have to go to the house. Get something for Lilly and I to wear. Can you keep an eye on her?" Chuck asked looking up at his sister.

"Yeah, are you sure you don't want me to go though, pick something for you?"

Chuck shook his head. "I have to go there at some point Ellie. Lilly and I can't hide out here forever, it's our home."

Ellie nodded as Chuck stood up. "I'll be quick, I don't want Lilly to freak out or anything cuz I'm gone. And then I'll have to head over to the airport to get William and Claire."

"Don't worry about Lilly, she will be fine, take your time. If you want, Devon or I could go pick them up."

"Are you sure? That would actually be a huge help." Chuck slipped his jacket on as he made his way for the door.

"Sure, it's no problem"

Chuck leaned in and hugged his sister. "I'll text you their gate information it's in the car. Thanks sis. I'll see you later."

Chuck grabbed his keys and walked out the door.

* * *

Sarah paced the room; she was going stir crazy in her small confines. She stopped when she heard what must have been the front door downstairs. The loud voices carried throughout the house. It wasn't just her captors there. She didn't recognize the voices but she could determine at least 4 different ones in the mix. The phone rang and she could hear the man known as CJ arguing with someone.

"Everything is under control, stop worrying!...No one is going to find out she's alive….because she's pregnant!...Stop yelling at me, at least everyone THINKS she's dead. We were by far more successful than the others….Well if your hit man knew how to aim properly Colonel Casey would be out of the picture and my God, how do you mess up a car bomb? There's no way Bartowski should have survived that, he wasn't even injured…no I know we didn't act according to the plan…Dad, it'll work, you'll see…I don't know, once she has the baby we can take her out, get rid of the baby, we could probably make some money off of it…We'll figure it out, we have some time yet."

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. Did he just say they were going to sell her baby? And what the hell were they talking about a hit man taking out Casey and a car bomb? Someone tried to kill her partners, her husband. CJ did say though that Chuck wasn't even injured if she had heard correctly.

The other voices grew louder drowning out CJ's and preventing her from hearing anymore of his conversation. Her attention shifted to the door when she heard the approaching footsteps. She heard the key being placed in the keyhole and watched the doorknob turn slowly. The door opened and Jimmy stuck his head in. Sarah watched him from across the room, his eyes met hers and he moved inside the room.

"I brought you and extra blanket; it got pretty drafty in here last night." Jimmy walked in and placed the bundle down on the bed. "You okay?" he asked, gesturing to the single tear that was making its way down her cheek. "You're crying." Sarah's hand quickly moved to wipe it away, not even aware that it had been there. Sarah didn't say anything. Jimmy sighed and turned to leave the room.

"My daughter." The words escaped her lips causing him to stop and take note. He turned to face her again. She slowly approached him. "My daughter thinks I'm dead…I lost my mother when I was a young girl, never quite got over it. She's so young..." her voice trailed off.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." He replied softly.

Sarah looked at him like he had two heads.

"Have you ever lost someone Jimmy? Someone so important in your life that it just brought your world crashing down?"

Jimmy's gaze fell to the floor. He found it hard to look at her. "Yeah, I have."

"Who did you lose Jimmy?"

"My mother….Four years ago."

She could see he was getting a tad choked up thinking about it. "How old were you Jimmy?"

"Sixteen." He replied.

"That's young. You were just a kid…My little girl is only 4, imagine growing up your whole life without your mother."

"Look, I'm sorry Sarah, I am, I never wanted to be a part of this, but…you don't say no to my father…you just don't."

"Jimmy, did…did he try to kill my husband too?"

Jimmy averted her gaze.

"Jimmy?"

"All I know is there was a car bomb planted, it went off, but he wasn't in the car, so he's fine."

"Jimmy, is your father going to try to kill him again?...Jimmy please, my daughter, she can't lose him too."

"Look I haven't heard anything about it, my father doesn't tell me any more than he needs to, he thinks I'm weak…. I can't be talking to you about this stuff, I've already said more than I should."

"Jimmy?" His name rang out. The large burley man entered the room. "Jimmy, what are you doing in here? Your brother needs you downstairs."

Sarah looked at the man, he looked vaguely familiar, but she was having a hard time placing him.

"I know you." She said looking him over.

He smiled at her. "It's been a long time Agent Walker."

Then it finally dawned on her. "Matthews? You…you work for Curtis Baxter. We put you guys away over 5 years ago."

Matthews just offered a grin. "Let's go Jim don't keep him waiting." Matthews made his way towards the door and waited for the boy to join him.

"Jimmy?...Is Curtis Baxter your father?" Sarah asked, focusing her attention back on the young man.

"Look I have to go. Enjoy the blanket." Jimmy turned and walked out the door, Sarah watched it close and listened to the lock click.

She walked over to the bed and sat down. Curtis Baxter was in Jail, how could he be orchestrating all this from the state pen? It didn't make sense to her. Sarah scooted herself back on the bed until her back was against the wall. She reached for the blanket and pulled it onto her lap. It was chilly in the room, so she appreciated the gesture. She unfolded it and she heard something fall to the floor. She moved to pick it up. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw what it was. She picked it up and held it securely between her fingers. It was her charm bracelet. She had forgotten that she even had it on the morning of the shooting. She had worn it, thinking it would be the perfect representation of Chuck at her appointment since he couldn't be there in person; she wanted to bring a piece of him along.

After the shooting, when she was coherent enough, she realized her wedding ring was gone. It all made sense to her when they informed her that she had been presumed dead. Of course they would take it, her personal belongings would have been given to her family, but in all the chaos the bracelet had totally slipped her mind.

She slipped the shiny piece of jewelry onto her wrist, examining the charms as she did. They were all there. Charms had been added over the years. There were new charms to represent their wedding day, the birth of their daughter and other significant events in their life together.

The tears welled in her eyes. Sarah laid down on the bed, her face against the wall. She curled up with the blanket and she cried. She tried to imagine Chuck's arms around her, holding her tightly, his lips whispering soothing words in her ear. She wanted her baby girl in her arms, cradling her, loving her. The thought that her family and friends could possibly be in danger and there nothing she could do about it, tore her up inside. She feared for them and she feared for her unborn child and what may be in store for him.

* * *

Chuck felt uneasy as he walked up his front steps. He swallowed hard before opening the door. Once inside the house, he looked around momentarily before heading for Lilly's room. He was on a mission, he wanted to get in and get out as quickly as possible. He rummaged through her closet, looking over her selection of dresses. He stopped when he came to the lavender dress that she had worn for Casey and Kathleen's wedding. He checked the size on it; it should still fit her fine. Sarah loved that dress; she raved about it for days after buying it and took countless pictures of Lilly in it. It was the perfect choice.

Chuck gathered shoes and the matching headband. He made his way to his own bedroom to pick out his own clothes. He sifted through his selection of suits and picked the one he knew Sarah liked the most. He found himself staring at her clothes; they were just hanging there, waiting for her. Chuck forced himself to refocus on the task at hand. He picked a plain black tie to match his suit. He grabbed shoes, socks and a few other odds and ends. Chuck gathered all of the belongings in his hands and left the room.

As he made his way down the hallway, headed for the stairs, he stopped short when he passed the nursery. He stood in the doorway momentarily before flicking on the light switch. He laid the items from his hands down on the changing table and made his way into the room. The room had been completely empty up until 6 months ago. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

"_**Sarah, what are we doing in here?" he asked turning to look at his wife.**_

"_**Well, I guess I just wanted your opinion on something." She replied.**_

_**He smiled in response. "Okay, what is it?"**_

"_**Well, you know this room has been empty since we bought the house and I kind of feel like it's time we did something with it, don't you?"**_

"_**Okay, what did you have in mind? I know we talked about a play room for Lilly, we don't really need another guest room, and we have our secret in home base downstairs, along with our home gym and the finished basement. We could probably turn it into an office if you want." He suggested.**_

_**Sarah smiled as she moved in closer to him. She took hold of his hands and brought his arms around her waist and she moved in to him.**_

"_**That could be nice, but I kind of had something different in mind."**_

"_**Oh?" he asked.**_

_**She smiled. "I was actually thinking something more along the lines of a nursery."**_

"_**What? That's kind of jumping the gun don't you think? I thought you wanted to hold off on anything like that until you actually got pregnant?"**_

_**Sarah flashed her husband a grin.**_

"_**What?" he asked confused by her reaction.**_

_**Sarah's grin grew.**_

"_**Sarah?...Are you….are you trying to tell me…that you're pregnant?"**_

_**Sarah nodded her head.**_

"_**For real? We're having another baby?"**_

_**She nodded again.**_

"_**Oh my God!" He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her in to him. When they separated, his hand flew to his mouth, "Oh my God!" His hand moved to her cheek and he caressed it. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Really?" he asked, his own tears starting to form.**_

"_**Really." She replied. Chuck leaned in and captured her lips with his. He held her face in his hands as he kissed her softly. Pulling apart he rested his forehead against hers as he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "I love you so much."**_

"_**I love you Chuck."**_

Looking around, he took in the freshly painted walls, a sage color. Sarah had been set on painting it that color as soon as they found out they were having a boy. He made his way over to the empty crib. Everything was all ready and waiting for his son to arrive. Chuck picked up the baby blanket that was draped over the crib rail. He held the soft velvety material in his hands. He envisioned his newborn son wrapped up securely in it.

His gaze fell to the teddy bear situated in the top right hand corner of the crib. He had bought it for the baby when he was away on a business trip. It looked like a smaller version of Lilly's Mr. Snuggles, and Sarah loved it.

Chuck picked up the bear and made his way over to the rocking chair in the corner of the room. He sat down, still holding the bear and blanket in his hands. His thoughts began to wander and he sat completely engrossed in his own little world.

* * *

Devon waited patiently at gate 24 for Sarah's grandparents as mobs of people flooded the terminal. Once the stampede had cleared he was able to see them, slowly making their way towards him. They had aged some since he had seen them last year during their annual visit to L.A. to visit with their granddaughter and her family. They seemed run down and just…heartbroken.

Devon made his way towards them.

"Claire." He pulled the older woman in for a hug, she immediately began to cry. "I'm so sorry." He spoke softly into her ear.

Devon turned his attention to William and pulled him in for a hug as well. "Will."

"Devon, how is Charles doing? He didn't sound well on the phone." Claire asked.

"He's umm….well….it's been hard." Devon replied.

"And Lilly?" She continued.

Devon grabbed a bag from William as they began moving through the terminal.

"She's having a very difficult time trying to make any sense of this." He replied.

"Devon do they have any leads, any indication as to who would do this to my granddaughter?" William asked.

"Nothing yet. But I know Chuck and Casey and they won't rest until they find the person who did this."

* * *

Morgan had just picked up 3 large pizzas and was headed over to Ellie's with them. As he was driving past Chuck and Sarah's he noticed the car in the driveway and the lights on. Morgan pulled over and made his way up to the house. He turned the doorknob, it was unlocked.

"Chuck?" Morgan called out his name as he made his way inside.

"Chuck you here?" He called out again.

Morgan noticed the lights on upstairs, so he headed in that direction. Once he got to the top of the stairs Morgan saw the light on in what was supposed to be the new baby's nursery. He slowly headed in that direction. Once in the doorway, he saw his best friend sitting in the rocking chair. His head resting against the back of the chair, his eyes closed. Morgan wasn't sure if he was sleeping or just had his eyes closed.

**_Chuck gently rocked his son in his arms, admiring his tiny features. He looked so much like his mother, just like Lilly, he was going to be a heartbreaker for sure._**

**_Sarah stood in the doorway watching her husband as he bonded with their son. Chuck looked up and his eyes met hers. He flashed her a grin and she proceeded towards him._**

"**_How's he doing?" she asked coming to stand next to them. She leaned over Chuck's shoulder and adjusted the blanket around the baby's face._**

"**_He's absolutely perfect. Just like his mother." Chuck replied. Sarah smiled and Chuck gestured for her to take a seat on his lap._**

**_She made her way around him and sat gently on his right leg. She toyed with a few of his curls at the base of his neck and his focus shifted from the baby to her. She ran her one hand over his cheek and then his chin. He smiled at her before leaning in to kiss her sweetly on the lips._**

**_Parting lips, she snuggled into him and their focus went back to the sleeping baby boy cradled in Chuck's arms._**

"_**Thank you." She whispered into his ear.**_

"_**For what?" he asked.**_

"_**For making me the happiest woman in the world. For giving me everything I could ever possibly want and more."**_

_**He turned his attention back to her. "Sarah, the feeling is mutual. You've given me everything. I love you."**_

"Chuck?" he called his name, but Chuck didn't respond.

Morgan moved in closer to him and spoke louder. "Chuck?"

Chuck's eyes opened, almost startled by Morgan's presence.

"Morgan? What are you doing here?"

"I was driving by, heading to Ellie's with some pizzas. She had mentioned you were stopping here to pick some things up. I saw the car out front and the light on, thought I would stop and see if you needed any help."

"Oh, umm….no….i just….what time is it?"

"Almost 6:30." Morgan replied.

"Oh!... I guess I lost track of time….Damn, Lilly's probably going crazy without me there."

Morgan took note of the baby blanket and teddy bear that Chuck had clutched in his hands.

"You okay?" Morgan asked, his eyes falling to the items in Chuck's hands.

"Huh? Oh…yeah…I just…I guess I just got distracted." Chuck stood up and made his way back over to the crib. He placed the bear back in its original spot and draped the blanket back over the crib rail.

Chuck and Morgan made their way out of the room. Chuck grabbed his belongings from the changing table. He stopped at the doorway and took one last look back at the room before flicking off the light switch.

* * *

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Lilly exclaimed as she went running into their arms no sooner they stepped foot in the door. Devon entered behind them carrying their bags.

"Oh Lilly!" Claire exclaimed welcoming her great granddaughter into her arms. "You have gotten so big."

Once Lilly got her fill of Claire, she moved on to her great grandfather. William reached down and picked her up. Lilly placed a kiss on his balding head. "Grandpa what happened to all your hair?"

William laughed. "Grandpa's getting old Lilly, He's losing his hair." Lilly reached out and touch the balding spot with her hand giving it a little rub before leaning in to place a kiss on it."

"William, Claire, come in. Please come sit, you must be exhausted." Ellie said approaching the two.

Claire reached out and pulled the girl into a hug. Ellie wrapped her arms around her. "Claire I'm so sorry." Ellie guided the elderly woman over to the couch and helped her sit down. William joined them, sitting down next to his wife. Lilly climbed up on his lap.

Ellie was filling Sarah's grandparents in on the funeral arrangements for tomorrow when Morgan and Chuck arrived. Morgan headed off to the kitchen with the pizza. Claire jumped up when she saw Chuck enter the room. They shared a look as they made their way to one another. Claire held her arms open for him and he fell into them. "Oh Charles." The two of them allowed the tears to flow.

"I'm so sorry Claire. I'm sorry I couldn't save her."

"Charles this is not your fault." She pulled away and wiped at the tears falling down his face.

"Are you feeling okay?" Chuck asked referring to her spell earlier when they spoke on the phone.

"Oh don't worry about me Charles, that has passed."

"I do worry about you. If this is all too much for you."

"Charles, I'm fine."

Chuck pulled her back in for another quick hug and placed a kiss on her forehead.

The tears started up again when Chuck turned his attention to William.

"Will."

William slid Lilly off his lap and stood up to greet Chuck. He pulled his granddaughter's husband in for a hug. "I'm glad you two were able to get here on such short notice. I just…I don't want to drag things out any longer than I have to, for Lilly's sake."

"It's fine Chuck, we understand."

"Come get something to eat everyone." Morgan announced as he entered the room. Everyone slowly made their way out to the kitchen.

Lilly ran to her father, stopping him from following the others. She reached her arms up to him for him to pick her up. He picked her up and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Daddy I missed you."

"Honey I was only gone for a little while."

"But I thought you weren't coming back." She cried.

"Oh sweetheart, don't cry. Daddy's right here. I'm not leaving you…I'll never leave you." He wrapped his arms around her tighter until she stopped crying. Chuck moved to the couch with her and sat down holding her on his lap.

"Lilly, daddy can't be with you every minute of the day. Sometimes I have to go out for things or to work, but I'll come home. I don't want you to worry so much. It's going to be okay."

"But daddy…" She whined.

"What Lil?"

"When you leave, I'm spose to be with mommy!...I'm always with mommy!...She's has to help me pick out my clothes, and make me breakfast, and play with me, and take me to the park, and make me lunch and take me grocery shopping and watch Dora with me, and swing with me on the tire, and make me dinner and give me bubble baths and read me bedtime stories and sing me my song, and hug me and kiss me." The tears started up again.

"I know Lilly, I know. Things are different now and I'm sorry."

"Daddy are you going to die too?"

The tears glistened in his eyes. "Look sweetheart…everyone dies someday, but I'm not going to die for a long, long time, I promise you."

"Am I going to die?" she looked up at him with those big blue eyes. The tears ready to spill out once again.

"Lilly, that is not something you don't have to worry about."

She leaned in to him and rested her head against her father's chest. He stroked her hair and whispered soothing words in her ear.

Claire watched the two of them from the doorway, her heart breaking more by the second. It was all too familiar.

Ellie came up behind Claire and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Claire can I get you something to drink?" she asked. "Coffee? Tea?"

"A glass of water would be fine dear." She replied, not taking her eyes off of Chuck and Lilly.

"Sure." Ellie replied, allowing her hand to linger momentarily in an attempt to offer the old woman some comfort.

The two women headed back into the kitchen to give Chuck and Lilly some privacy.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The next morning…**_

It had been a rough night for Sarah. Thoughts of her family and loved ones plagued her mind all night long. She came to the realization that she needed to get out of there no matter what. If not for her own sake, for that of her family. The thought of them in danger was unsettling to say the very least.

It had been quiet in the house. Outside Sarah had heard a car leave a good ten minutes ago. She tried jiggling with the doorknob, but it was locked, if only she had something to jimmy the lock with.

Sarah paced the room some more. She stopped when she heard some approaching footsteps. The door opened and the older brother CJ entered carrying a plate of food.

"Brought you some food." He announced making his way in the room. Sarah's attention went to the open door. She listened, it was quiet downstairs. He must be alone.

CJ set the plate of food down on the bed. Sarah made no move for it.

"What's the matter, not hungry?" he asked moving closer to her.

Sarah's hand went to her temple. "I have a headache." She said. "More of a migraine really."

Sarah squinted her eyes as she massaged her temples with both hands now.

"Ahh!" she grabbed her head and averted his eyes.

"Here, sit down." He took hold of her arm and guided her over to the empty chair across the room.

Sarah sat down in the chair and cradled her head in her hands. CJ squatted down next to her.

"I can probably scrounge up some Tylenol or something for you. I don't know how much that will help with a migraine though." CJ offered.

"Really? That would be wonderful." She replied.

CJ moved to stand up, but Sarah stopped him. "Wait!" she pleaded, her eyes still fixated on the floor. CJ knelt back down to her level and Sarah took the opportunity to deliver a right hook to his jaw. The force behind it was so strong; it sent him to the ground.

"Ahh, you bitch!"

Sarah jumped up and proceeded to kick him hard in the groin. She bolted for the door, not looking back.

CJ struggled to get to his feet, but was finding it quite difficult.

Sarah carefully made her way down the stairs, quiet so if there was anyone else in the house, they may not hear her. She looked back to see CJ emerging from the bedroom, with rage in his eyes. Sarah bolted for the front door. It was locked. She fiddled with the handle and managed to open it. Just as she did, she came face to face with Matthews, stopping her in her tracks. He looked past her and saw CJ struggling to get down the stairs. Matthews pulled out his gun and held it up to her chest. "You going somewhere Blondie?" he asked.

Sarah put her hands up as a sign of her surrender as she backed up into the house.

"Don't worry CJ; I'll take care of her." Matthews replied as he made his way into the house.

"Bring her back upstairs." CJ ordered. He turned his attention to Sarah as he wiped at his bleeding lip. "You're going to be sorry you did that." He spat out as she walked past him, Matthews' gun pressed firmly into her back.

* * *

Chuck looked in the mirror one last time as he fixed his tie. He took a deep breath trying to prepare himself for what the day would bring.

He was shaken from his thoughts by a knock on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?" he answered.

The door opened and Ellie walked in. "You about ready? Everyone is loading up the cars."

"Yeah, I just….yeah." he turned to face her.

"You look nice." She said. She moved in to adjust his tie. He caught hold of her hand with his to stop her. "Ellie don't." Only Sarah adjusted his tie for him.

"What is it Chuck?" Ellie was confused by his actions.

"I'm sorry, it's just…Sarah always did that for me."

Ellie nodded her head as she backed off. "I understand, I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault, it's not you, it's me, I just…Look I just need a couple more minutes and I'll be out okay."

Ellie nodded. "Take your time Chuck." She stepped out of the room closing the door behind her.

Chuck turned and looked at his reflection in the mirror. It was a man he didn't recognize, or perhaps a shell of a man. His hands went up to adjust the tie one last time before he shut the light and made his way out to join the rest of his family.

* * *

"Why are you going to make her watch that?" Jimmy asked.

"You see what that bitch did to me?" CJ said pointing to his fat, cut lip and swollen cheek. "This isn't a game Jimmy, She wants to play hardball, I can play too."

"It's just cruel."

"Cruel? She's still alive isn't she? Although I'm beginning to have second thoughts on that." CJ grabbed the monitor and headed up the stairs for Sarah's room.

When he entered the room he found her resting on the bed. The plate of food he had brought up earlier was still there untouched, except Sarah had moved it to the floor.

"I got a surprise for you." He announced as he moved into the room. CJ set the monitor down on the empty chair. He turned it on and left the room. Sarah watched him go, before turning her attention to the small screen in front of her.

She quickly jumped up and moved in closer, settling on the floor in front of the screen when she saw Chuck. He was dressed in a black suit, one of his finest, as he made his way to the front of the church where he joined the rest of their family and friends. Casey, Kathleen, Alex, Morgan, General Beckman, Ellie, Devon, her nephews, her grandparents, they were all there. And her baby girl, looking beautiful as ever in her satin, lavender dress. Sarah watched as she ran to her father and he picked her up. The tears streamed down Sarah's face. She ran her hand over the monitor, over Chuck and Lilly, what she would do to just be able to touch them.

Sarah watched the entire funeral, her funeral. Chuck had lost it twice. Her daughter cried and held on to her father the entire time. Her grandparents looked completely drained and just heart broken. Sarah's own tears flowed steadily. She had to get out of there. She was more determined than ever. She had to let them know she was alright, that she was alive.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, so there ya have it, Chapter 5. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? I have a feeling that this story is going to end up being much longer than I had anticipated, hence the long chapters. I am going to attempt to pick up the pace slightly in the next few chapters. Thank you all for continuing to read. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of it.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Alright, just a quick thank you to all of you who have been sticking it out with my story. As a thank you, I give you this chapter a day early. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 6**

"Lilly, come on, it's time to get your costume on." Chuck called to his daughter from the other room.

Lilly came running into the living room, Molly following closely behind her.

"Come on Doodlebug, Aunt Ellie, Uncle Devon and your cousins will be here soon to go trick or treating."

"I don't want to go daddy."

Chuck looked at her in shock. She had been so excited about Halloween and her costume; it was all she had talked about for the past two months.

"What do you mean you don't want to go?" he asked sitting down on the couch, Lilly's costume in his hands.

Lilly climbed up on the couch next to her father.

"What's the matter Lil?" he asked as she climbed over onto his lap.

"Mommy was spose to go. I don't want to go if she can't go too."

"Honey, mommy worked so hard on this costume for you because she wanted you to have a good night. She wanted you to have fun."

"I don't want mommy to be sad because she can't go."

"Yes,…I see your dilemma….You know what I think?" He asked as he brushed the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"What?" she asked.

"I think that mommy would be even sadder if you didn't go."

Lilly contemplated her father's words. "Daddy, I don't want mommy to be sad."

"I don't either."

"Maybe I can go." She replied.

Chuck smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah?"

Lilly nodded her head.

"Good, I think we're going to have fun tonight. Now, let's get this costume on before everyone gets here."

Ellie, Devon and the boys arrived soon after. Chuck and Ellie both took several pictures of the kids before heading out for the night. Lilly seemed to be having a good time with her cousins. She was loving her costume and it was the first Chuck had seen her smile in nearly three weeks.

* * *

Sarah exited the bathroom to find Jimmy in her room waiting for her. She was tired, and run down, she hadn't felt well for days. The past few weeks were really starting to take their toll on her and she was giving up hope of ever getting out of there.

"Jimmy?" She made her way back into the small bedroom and headed back over to her bed. She sat crossed leg in the middle of it.

Jimmy reached into his coat and pulled out a brown paper bag he had been hiding and tossed it to her. "I brought you something." He grabbed the nearby chair and sat down. Jimmy watched Sarah as she opened the small bag and peered inside. "It's just a deli sandwich."

Sarah smiled. "Thanks." She replied. She took the sandwich out and picked at it. At this point, Jimmy was the only person Sarah trusted to take food from, he knew this, and he couldn't stand to see a pregnant woman go hungry, so he snuck it to her. Since her attack on CJ a few weeks prior, he hadn't exactly been kind to her and often eluded to just ridding themselves of the burden.

"You don't look so hot." Jimmy took note.

"I'm just tired…I'm in my eighth month now…It won't be long before the baby comes. My doctor was expecting me to go early."

"Oh!"

Sarah broke off a piece of the bread and popped it in her mouth, not appearing to be too invested in the sandwich even though it was the first thing she had to eat all day.

"Where's your brother?" Sarah asked out of curiosity. Jimmy only came to see her when he was gone.

"He had a meeting with our father."

"Jimmy, what's the deal with your father anyway? You told me he just got out of jail, he has a chance to start over, so why risk it all?

"He wants revenge, simple as that. When he went to jail, he lost the majority of his money, his company…my mother. I guess he's still pretty pissed off about it all."

"So what's your brother's deal? He seems so bitter, I don't get it."

"When dad lost the company and his money, Curt…CJ, was in his third year of med school…couldn't pay the tuition, he had no choice but to drop out…So yeah, I guess he's a little bitter."

"What about you?" Sarah picked at the sandwich and popped another bite into her mouth.

"What about me?" he asked.

"You're not like your brother."

Jimmy looked almost offended. "Sarah don't mistake my kindness for weakness."

"No, I didn't mean you were weak Jimmy. You're just…you're not callous like your brother or your father and all his men."

"CJ wasn't always like that…God he was going to be a doctor, he cared about people. He wanted to help them."

"So what changed all that?"

"My father." His voice drifted off.

The two of them sat there in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

Sarah sighed. "Jimmy…Do I have to be worried about my baby?...What's going to happen to him?"

Jimmy averted her eyes. "Jimmy please?"

"I don't know…I mean, no one's going to hurt the baby if that's what you're asking."

"And me?" She continued to grill him.

"Look you're asking me questions that I can't answer…I shouldn't even be talking to you about any of this. If my dad or CJ knew the things we've talked about…"

"Well who's going to tell them?"

Jimmy stood up and pushed the chair aside. "I should go." He said heading for the door.

"Jimmy."

He stopped and turned his attention back to her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks again for the sandwich."

He smiled. "You're welcome…oh, here, I almost forgot." Jimmy reached into his coat pocket and tossed her a handful of miniature snickers bars.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Happy Halloween." He said as he made his exit.

Sarah looked down at the small pile of candy. She tried to do the math in her head. It WAS Halloween, she had forgotten. How could she have forgotten? Her thoughts immediately went to Lilly. Her little princess. She looked so adorable in her costume, and Sarah couldn't remember her being so excited about something before. Sarah had actually been excited about it too, which she thought was rather surprising since she had never been a fan of the holiday before, even though Chuck loved it.

Sarah imagined Lilly all dressed up in her costume, a grin plastered ear to ear. She imagined what it would be like taking her trick or treating with Chuck . That was always one her favorite things, just the three of them being together, no matter what they did. She missed it so. Happy thoughts of her family flooded her mind as she thought about the fun Lilly was having tonight with her father and it made her happy.

* * *

Chuck stumbled through the front door, nearly tripping over the pair of shoes left in his path, his daughter in his arms, her arms wrapped as tightly as possible around his neck as the tears streamed down her face.

Ellie entered behind him. "Chuck are you sure she's okay? We can stay you know."

"Don't be ridiculous Ellie. The boys are waiting for you, don't spoil their night. We're going to be fine here."

Ellie offered him a sympathetic smile as she reached out and ran her hand lovingly over Lilly's forehead. She leaned in and placed a kiss on her tear stained cheek. "Bye sweetie. Chuck, I'll call you later." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye El."

He watched the door close behind her and then proceeded into the living room with his daughter. Chuck collapsed in the recliner, Lilly securely in his arms. She whimpered as the tears continued to fall, Chuck brushed them away.

"Lilly, it's okay, you don't have to be scared, daddy's here."

She clutched his shirt tightly. "But they had guns, like the bad men who hurt mommy."

"They weren't real honey, they were just parts of a costume, like your tiara is a part of your costume."

"I don't like it!" She cried and her body shook in his arms.

"Shhh…" Chuck kissed her forehead and continued to wipe her tears away. He hummed her a soothing song and it seemed to do the trick. He felt her relax in his arms as her crying subsided. Chuck rested his head against the back of the recliner, closed his eyes and he prayed. He prayed for their pain to ease and he prayed for strength.

Lilly fell asleep rather quickly after her head hit the pillow. Chuck pulled the covers up around her and moved to leave. He stopped in her doorway and turned back to look at her. He stood there for a few minutes just watching her. Completely captivated by her. All they had left was each other and there was nothing he would do to jeopardize that.

Chuck flicked the light switch and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack. He made his way down the hall, stopping when he came to the open door of his bedroom. He stood in the doorway for a moment, flipped the light switch on and peered inside.

Chuck and Lilly had been back in their house for three days now and Chuck still couldn't bring himself to sleep in his and Sarah's room. His gaze shifted to the bed, their bed. It was still unmade, everything just the way they had left it last. Chuck stepped inside the room and grabbed a clean t-shirt and pair of boxers from his dresser drawer. The picture on top of his dresser caught his eye and he stopped in his tracks.

Chuck picked up the frame to get a closer look. Their wedding day. He remembered it like it was yesterday, every little detail no matter how small, he remembered. From the colors in her bouquet, to the songs they danced to, to the number of bobby pins he helped her pull out of her hair later that night. It would always be permanently engraved in his memory.

Chuck ran his finger over her image, she was so beautiful. Far too beautiful to be with him he often thought, but she never saw it that way. She found him to be beautiful too, not to mention charming, intelligent and sexy. That's what she would tell him.

Chuck brought the frame closer to his face. He brushed his lips against her face and allowed them to linger there imagining what it would be like to kiss her again. The cold glass offered him little solace. He sighed in frustration and put the picture down, placing it back in its sacred spot on top of the dresser.

Chuck picked up his clothes and made his way for the door. He turned around and took one last look at their room, their bed, before flicking off the light. He wasn't ready to sleep there, not yet, not without her, so he did what he had been doing the last three nights. He retreated to the couch in living room.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The next day….**_

Chuck walked into Castle a little later than usual. He was greeted by Casey who stood there with a grin on his face.

"What's with you?" Chuck asked.

"You're late Bartowski; I've been waiting for you."

"Has there been word from Beckman?"

"No, but I have a surprise for you." A smile stretched across Casey's face.

"Well don't keep me in suspense Casey."

Casey grabbed hold of Chuck's shirt sleeve and pulled him down the hall to one of their holding cells. Casey gestured for Chuck to take a look through the double glass window. Chuck's mouth dropped when he saw Curtis Baxter sitting in the chair before him.

"Oh my God! Casey you found him?"

Casey nodded. They had been searching for Baxter for the past couple of weeks since they found out he had been released and was quite possibly responsible for the attempts on their lives.

"Well…did he say anything?"

"I haven't talked to him yet. I've been saving him… For you."

Chuck turned to look at Casey, a smirk on his face. "Good cop, bad cop?" he asked.

"I was thinking more along the lines of bad cop, badder cop." Casey replied. Chuck nodded in agreement.

"Which one do I get to be?" Chuck asked.

"Let's just play it by ear, see what happens."

"Agreed. Let's do this." Chuck and Casey stepped into the room and stood before him.

"Baxter, we meet again." Chuck addressed the older man.

"This is ridiculous. I don't know why I'm here; you're wasting your time."

"Why don't you let us be the judge of that?" Casey chimed in.

"You see Baxter, we find it quite interesting that you get released from prison one day, and a week later, the three agents that put you away all had attempts made on their lives. We think it's something more than a coincidence, especially since you spent the majority of your time in prison talking about how you were going to make us all pay one day."

"I see you've done your homework Agent Bartowski. I've done mine as well. I heard that you and Agent Walker tied the knot. How is the Mrs. by the way?" Baxter smirked after his last remark.

Chuck pounced on him. He reached out and wrapped his hand tightly around Baxter's neck and began to squeeze.

"Listen you son of bitch. I know you're responsible for her death and I will make you pay if it's the last thing I do."

Baxter gasped for air, His lips began to turn a shade of blue and Casey took that as his cue to intervene.

"Easy there Bartowski, we need him alive if we're going to get any answers out of him." Casey grabbed Chuck's arm.

Chuck turned to look at him. Casey was right; they still needed so many answers. He forced himself to loosen his grip on Baxter before it was too late. Baxter's hands went to his throat; he gasped and coughed as he struggled to catch his breath. Chuck took a step back and tried to harness his rage. He took several deep breaths and exhaled.

"Baxter, we know you did this, you might as well tell us who helped you." Casey spoke up.

"I told you…I…have no idea…what you are…talking about… and you… have no reason to hold me here."

"I think you forget who you're dealing with here. We're not the police, you can't just call up some fancy lawyer and have him smooth talk your way out of here. We have ways of making you talk." Casey leaned in close, getting right in Baxter's face. Baxter turned his face away from him. Casey grabbed hold of his chin and forced him to look at him.

"Everyone talks eventually; you could save yourself a whole lot of torture." Casey pushed his face away and stepped back momentarily before delivering his right hook to Baxter's face.

Baxter slumped over in his chair. When he lifted his head, you could see the blood gushing from his nose.

Casey turned his attention to Chuck, who he could see was still having a hard time trying to get a hold of himself. Casey grabbed him by the arm and the two stepped out of the room, leaving Baxter on his own.

"You okay? " Casey asked, once they were out in the hallway.

"I want to kill him Casey!" Chuck spoke through gritted teeth. "I want to tear him apart piece by piece." Chuck snapped back.

"I know…Listen you need to get a hold of yourself. This guy is gonna hang himself here, trust me, he's going to talk, and we're going bring down his entire organization. From the guy who fired at me, to the funeral director that skipped town. We'll get every single one of them Chuck. He's going to pay for what he did. I promise you that. They all will."

Chuck had no doubt in his mind that they were going to bring these guys down, but when Casey said it, it just re-affirmed that for him. Casey was not taking any of this lightly, Sarah was his partner, more than that, she was family. To think that he would just sit by idly while her killer roamed free, it just wasn't even an option for him.

"Casey, there's something I have to tell you."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I haven't spoken to Beckman yet, but I have to tell you…this mission…it's going to be my last."

Casey turned to look at him. The shocked expression on his face spoke volumes.

"Bartowski, what do you mean? This whole operation here." He gestured to the facility and the equipment that surrounded them. "This is all yours, you built this from scratch."

Chuck's gaze fell to the floor. "I know."

"So what gives Bartowski? What's this all about?"

"I just can't do it anymore Casey. I don't WANT to do it anymore. I have Lilly to think about. Casey she's terrified every time I walk out the door that I'm not coming home. I can't take these risks anymore. I'm all she has. I can't do that to her. I won't."

Casey remained silent as he took in Chuck's words. He understood. Had he known about his own daughter when she was born or a small child even, he may have had a similar revelation.

"I'm going to talk to Beckman about turning the operation solely over to you."

Casey just nodded in response; he really didn't know what to say. First he loses Sarah now Chuck.

* * *

Ellie stood up to greet Chuck as he entered the waiting room.

"Hey Ellie, sorry I'm late, I got caught up at work."

"It's okay, Miranda was running late, Lilly's in with her now." Ellie replied.

Chuck and Ellie made small talk until Dr. Nichols stepped out of her office.

"Chuck, you're here. Good. Please join us." She held the door open waiting for Chuck to step inside.

Chuck made his way inside the office. Lilly jumped up when she saw him and greeted him with a big hug.

"Have a seat Chuck." Dr. Nichols said as she stepped back into the room.

Chuck and Lilly sat down on a brown leather couch and Miranda took a seat in a matching chair adjacent to them.

"Chuck, Lilly was telling me about Halloween."

Chuck nodded in response. "It was a rough night for us. I was definitely hoping for a better outcome. She had been so excited about it. I guess maybe I should have just kept her home."

"That's not necessarily the answer. It's important to get back to doing things you both would normally do. It's important that you understand things are different now, so the outcome may not be what you're expecting. It's all pretty much trial and error."

Chuck shook his head in response. "It's not easy."

She sympathized with him. "No, it's not. But you're doing great."

"Thanks."

"Chuck, I wanted to bring up something with you that Lilly has been talking a lot about today." Dr. Nichols smiled at the small child who was listening intently.

"Lilly has been asking, when you two are going to pick up Charlie from the hospital." The Doctor continued.

"What?" Chuck's attention shifted back and forth from Lilly to Miranda.

"Can I just ask who exactly is Charlie?"

Chuck rubbed his hands over his face as he took a deep breath. "Charlie is the baby that Sarah was carrying. She wanted to name him Charles. She and Lilly referred to the baby as Charlie."

Miranda shook her head. "I see."

"Daddy, you said that when you go pick up Charlie at the hospital I would get to go too and we would bring him home together." Lilly spoke up.

"Lilly…Charlie is not coming home from the hospital."

The look of heartbreak that came over his daughter's face was almost too much for him.

"Why not daddy?" She whined.

"Honey… Charlie went to heaven…with mommy."

"So, I'm not going to be a big sister?" She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

Chuck reached out and welcomed her into his arms. "Lil, you'll always be his big sister, no matter where he is."

* * *

Sarah had spent most of the day in bed. She had not been feeling well and she was really hoping that the pains she had been feeling were not real contractions, although all signs seemed to point to that being the case.

CJ entered with a tray of food for her and was surprised to see her lying in bed.

"What's with you?" he asked, stepping into the room to set the tray down.

Sarah moved to sit up, but stopped short when she felt the painful tightening in her abdomen again. "Ahh!" she moaned as her hand moved to her stomach.

"What's the matter?" He asked stepping closer to her.

"I think I'm having contractions." She responded.

"It's too early, I'm sure they're just Braxton hicks or perhaps some indigestion."

Sarah glared at him after his remarks. "Have you ever had a baby before? I'm telling you, I'm having contractions." Sarah moved to sit up. "Oh no!"

"What?"

"My water just broke."

_**

* * *

**__**Okay, so hope you all enjoyed. Would love to hear your comments, please leave a review.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**So after tonight's majorly awesome episode I am feeling very generous. And because I had quite a productive weekend with the writing, I am giving you another very early chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter 7**

Sarah breathed a huge sigh of relief as the black van pulled up to the hospital. She had begged CJ, given her history with bad labor, to bring her to a hospital. He had finally agreed after she had given her word to keep her true identity a secret. Being that they were nearly 100 miles away from L.A. and everyone believed Sarah Bartowski to be deceased, he felt it would okay and would save him a mess to clean up.

Jimmy jumped out of the van and moved quickly to help Sarah out. CJ got out and the three headed through the doors of the emergency room, while Matthews parked the van.

"Can I help you?" the woman behind the desk asked Sarah, barely glancing up to acknowledge her.

"Yes, my water broke, I'm in labor."

The woman looked back up and saw Sarah slumped over, her hand gripping her stomach. She jumped up from behind the desk and moved to get her a wheelchair. She brought it up behind Sarah and helped her sit down in it. The woman moved back to her chair and began accessing the computer.

"Okay, I just need some information from you, starting with your name." She looked to Sarah waiting for her to answer.

"Sarah….Sarah Barto…" CJ gave her a look and she stopped short.

"I'm Sorry, what was the last name?"

Sarah thought quickly. "I'm sorry, that's Burton. Sarah Burton."

"Okay, and who is your doctor?"

Sarah looked to CJ for guidance.

"She sees a Doctor Caulfield."

"Dr. Caulfield? I'm not familiar with him." The receptionist replied.

"Oh, well that's because we're not from around here. You see my sister and I came out with our little brother here, he's moving to the area and we wanted to help get him settled. Since Sarah here can't fly, we drove and well, we certainly weren't expecting any of this to happen."

"I see. And where is your doctor based out of?"

"Umm, that would be Phoenix."

"Phoenix? You're quite a ways from home aren't you?"

"Aahhh." Sarah groaned in pain.

"Okay, let's get you a room and a gown and someone will be in to get the rest of this information from you. I just need your insurance card."

Sarah looked up at CJ. "I don't actually have a card." She replied.

The receptionist looked at her confused.

"What my sister means to say is she doesn't have her card on her. We were in such a rush; we just wanted to get her here. I can get you the card."

"Okay, well right this way." She ushered them into a room, fished through a linen closet and laid a gown out on the bed for her. "Go ahead and get into the gown. A nurse will be right in to see you."

She left the three alone in the room. Sarah stood from the wheelchair and made her way over to the bed and picked up the gown. She turned to face CJ and Jimmy who stood there not sure what to do next.

"Are you guys going to watch?" she asked coldly.

CJ rolled his eyes before pulling the curtain that hung to give her some privacy. "Tell us when you're done."

* * *

"_How about cutting the cord dad?" The nurse handed Chuck the scissors and instructed him where to cut. The biggest grin imaginable plastered on his face as he looked at the beautiful baby girl that they had created._

_Once the cord was cut the baby was swaddled in a blanket and placed in her mother's arms. The tears streamed down Sarah's face as she held her daughter for the first time. It had been touch and go there for a while and she had feared the worst. But now, looking into those big blue eyes, she finally felt at ease._

_Chuck leaned down and placed a kiss on his wife's forehead. "She's so beautiful." _

_Sarah looked up at her husband with nothing but pure love in her eyes. "I can't believe we did this. I can't believe she's ours. She's the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life." Sarah leaned in and placed a kiss on the baby's face._

_Chuck began tearing up once again. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. The past 24 hours had been a string of highs and lows for them. Not knowing whether or not their baby would survive, to actually holding her in their arms. _

"_She's so small." Chuck ran his finger over his daughter's cheek. "She's incredible, just like her mother."_

_Sarah's eyes shifted to meet his. "I love you." She said as she leaned in to kiss him. His lips met hers and he kissed her softly._

"_I love you too." He replied as their lips parted._

Chuck sat up on the couch. She had been weighing heavily on his mind today and he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She should have been there with him. They should be getting ready to welcome their son into the world soon.

Chuck stood up and made his way out to the kitchen. He grabbed a beer out the fridge. He popped the top off and took a big swig.

He gazed at the sink across the room and he felt his mind drift off to a happier time, not too long ago.

_She had her back to him as she stood at the sink finishing up the breakfast dishes. Chuck smiled. She was still in her pajamas. Her hair propped up in a hair tie on the top of her head. Chuck smiled and moved in towards her. He came up behind her and placed his hands on her waist. Sarah jumped and he laughed._

_"You scared me." she said settling under his touch._

_"I'm sorry." he said leaning down and placing a kiss on her neck. She leaned her back into his chest and enjoyed the sensation of his lips on her flesh._

_"Mmmm…I've missed that…I've missed you." She said._

_Chuck snaked his arms around her waist and caressed her very pregnant belly._

_"I've missed you too. Happy Anniversary."_

_Sarah smiled. She turned in his arms and clasped her hands around his neck. "And here I thought you forgot."_

_"Are you kidding me? How could I ever forget our five year anniversary, or any of our anniversaries for that matter? "He asked. "Our wedding day was the first most important day of my life."_

_"The first?" She questioned._

_"Marrying you was the first, Lilly's birth the second and this little guy's birth…" Chuck placed his hands on her protruding stomach. "will be the third. The three most important days of my life. All equally important."_

_Sarah smiled and leaned up to kiss him. "I love you and Happy Anniversary." She said._

Chuck set his beer down on the counter. He had a feeling he was going to need something stronger than that to get through tonight. He made his way back over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer. He grabbed the pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream. He couldn't help but notice the pint of cookie dough ice cream that sat next to it. He sighed heavily as he closed the freezer door. Chuck grabbed a spoon and headed back to his couch. He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and flipped on the TV. He scrolled all the channels at least two times around before finally settling on Sports Center. Chuck shoved a heaping spoonful of ice cream into his mouth and began the process of drowning his sorrows.

_**

* * *

**_

_**The next morning…**_

CJ had made some calls and was able to get an insurance card for Sarah, with the name Sarah Burton on it, which was enough to get the receptionist off his case.

It had been a long night for Sarah with her labor progressing slowly. She had expressed her fears with the on call doctor regarding complications and her being early, but he didn't seem to be concerned. However, his lack of concern did not put Sarah's mind at ease. She was a nervous wreck and all she wanted was her husband by her side, but no, she was stuck with CJ and Jimmy.

Occasionally, Matthews would pop his head in to see how things were progressing. There wasn't a second that passed where one of them was not by her side. Afraid that she might try something.

A young, bubbly, red headed nurse entered the room, her clip board in hand.

"Hello, I'm Cindy; I'll be your nurse today. And how are we doing this morning?" She looked down at her clipboard. "Sarah."

Sarah glared at her; no one should be in that cheery of a mood, ever.

Sarah adjusted herself to sit up in the bed. "I need to check your vitals and see how you're progressing. Gentlemen, I'm going to have you step out for a few minutes, except dad, he can stay." She said turning to look at CJ.

"Oh, no! He is not the baby's father!" Sarah exclaimed.

CJ took hold of the nurse's arm and pulled her aside. "I'm sorry; my sister is a little edgy. The baby's father isn't in the picture anymore. She lost him a couple of months ago in a horrible accident. She gets very upset when people bring him up, starts talking nonsense, so maybe you could refrain from doing so."

"Oh, I see. Of course."

CJ and Jimmy left the room. CJ looked at Sarah as if to give her a warning before leaving.

Sarah waited until she heard the door close behind them. She motioned to Cindy to come closer to her. Cindy moved in until she was standing directly next to Sarah.

"Please you have to help me." Sarah started.

"Of course, honey that's why I'm here. Now let's check this monitor and see how you're doing with these contractions."

"No, you don't understand. Those guys aren't my brothers, okay, I need help."

"Honey I make no judgments. Now lay back, so I can get a look at things here."

Sarah did as she asked. Just then a big contraction hit her and she screamed out in pain.

"Deep breaths Sarah, you're doing fine."

Sarah inhaled and exhaled deeply until the contraction passed.

"Good Sarah, you're doing great. Is this your first pregnancy?" the nurse asked.

"What? No, I have a daughter. Look I need you to help me."

"Oh, how old is she?"

"She's four. You're not listening to me. You need to call the police. I need to contact my husband."

Cindy remembered what Sarah's brother had just said to her before stepping out the room. She tried her best to change the subject, so as not to upset Sarah any further than she was.

"What's her name?"

Sarah sighed with frustration. "Lilly."

"What a beautiful name. Do you know what you're having this time?"

"A boy. Look, I really need to use a phone, but those guys with me, they can't know about it."

"Do you have a name picked out for him?" the nurse continued to question Sarah as she finished taking her vitals.

"Charles. After his father."

"That's nice. Whoa, you're blood pressure is up a little bit."

"Look lady are you going to help me or not?" Sarah was getting more upset by the minute, causing her blood pressure to skyrocket causing alarms on her monitors to go off.

"Okay Sarah, I need you to relax. I'm going to get the doctor in here."

Sarah panicked. "What's the matter? Is it the baby?"

"Just relax Sarah." The nurse left the room and returned within seconds with the on call doctor on shift.

The doctor looked over the monitors and gave Sarah a once over as well.

"Mrs. Burton, I need you to relax, you seem to be a bit agitated and it is putting the baby under a great deal of stress."

Sarah leaned back against her pillow and tried her best to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Your contractions are about 3 minutes apart. You are dilated 9 centimeters, this baby can come any time now, but you getting upset is only going to complicate things. Given your history, the best thing for you to do is relax. I think we may be ready to push any time now. Can we get you something for the pain?"

Sarah knew the effects the painkillers could have on her. She wasn't about to let her guard down for anything. "No." she replied. "I don't need anything for pain."

"Are you sure? Because if you hold off any longer it may be too late." The doctor continued.

"I will not be taking anything for the pain." She made her decision clear to them.

"Very well then. I want you to lay back and relax; I have a feeling you're going to be pushing soon."

The doctor left the room, Cindy following suit. Sarah rubbed her hand over her stomach. She closed her eyes and imagined Chuck beside her, his hand caressing her belly as his lips grazed her forehead.

_

* * *

_

_Chuck tip toed into the darkened bedroom, careful not to wake Sarah who was sound to sleep. He had worked another late night, undercover as a wealthy industrialist. He took off his tuxedo jacket and tossed it down on the chair beside the bed. He gently sat down on the bottom of the bed and removed his shoes. Chuck sat upright and pulled at his loosened bowtie and removed it. He proceeded to remove his cufflinks and unfasten the buttons on his sleeves._

_He nearly jumped when he felt her hands on his shoulders. She leaned down and kissed his neck._

"_Hey. Did I wake you?" He asked apologetically._

"_No." she whispered in his ear. "I was waiting for you." She placed a kiss just below his ear. Her hands reached around him and moved to the buttons on the front of his shirt and proceeded to undo each one. She slid the shirt down his arms and discarded it on the floor. Her hands made their way back up to his shoulders and she began to massage them. _

_Chuck moaned as she worked her hands over him. "That feels good."_

_She leaned down and placed a kiss on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I missed I dinner, things took longer than expected." He apologized._

"_Were you able to secure the weapons and bring in the cartel?"_

"_Yeah. Things didn't really go according to plan, but Casey and I managed just the same."_

_Her lips moved back to his neck. The sensation of her lips on his bare flesh always ignited a fire in him. It drove him wild, especially that one particular spot on his neck that she was working on at the very moment. She knew he couldn't resist that._

_Chuck turned to face her. His hand moved to her face. He caressed her cheek softly before moving in to capture her lips with his. She moaned against his mouth as she ran her hands over his bare chest. Chuck gently pushed her back down against the mattress and covered her body with his. He trailed kisses along her neckline and worked his way down._

_Sarah ran her fingers through his curls. God she loved those curls. His hands roamed over her body getting her hotter by the second. _

_Chuck took the liberty of removing her tank top, followed closely by his boxer shorts she was wearing until she was laying there before him completely exposed and ready for him. Sarah worked at the button on his pants and gave the zipper a tug. Chuck stood up from the bed and removed them for her. He moved back in just as quickly and covered her body with his once again._

"_Make love to me?" The words took him by surprise and he always found it hard to believe that she could possible want him as much as he wanted her. No, as much as he needed her._

"_I love you Sarah." He said as he entered her, eliciting several ecstasy filled cries from her. He moaned heavily as she raked her nails down his back. She sought out his lips as she rolled him onto his back and climbed on top of him. He moved his hands sensually over her thighs. His hands moved slowly up her back. He sat up and attacked her mouth with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close as he moved inside her._

"_Oh Chuck." She moaned against his mouth as he continued to pleasure her. He pushed her back down on the bed and came down on top of her once again deepening his thrusts. His mouth moved to her breast. He teased her with the tip of his tongue. She bit her lip to keep from losing it right there. Her cries only encouraged him to increase the power behind his movements. It drove him crazy to hear her react like that and he wanted more._

_Just as the two were really getting into it, the whimpering from the baby monitor brought them to a screeching halt. They stopped and froze momentarily to listen, hoping it was a false alarm and she would lull herself back to sleep. No such luck, the full blown crying started up seconds after. Both sighed in frustration._

"_I'll get her." Sarah said sneaking out from underneath him and jumping up from the bed. She grabbed Chuck's shirt off the floor and threw it on. She moved back to the bed and leaned over him, kissing him on his lips. "Don't move." She whispered seductively in his ear._

_Chuck laid back and watched her walk away. "I wouldn't dream of it."_

"Daddy." Lilly gave his body a shake. "Daddy wake up."

"Huh?" Chuck jumped up to a sitting position on the couch to see his daughter standing before him. "Lilly? What's the matter honey?"

"It's morning daddy, time to get up."

"Oh." Chuck looked around and noticed the sunlight streaming through the windows. "So it is…You hungry?"

Lilly shook her head yes.

"How about some eggs?" he asked as he stood up and proceeded to fold his blanket.

"How about some cookies?" she replied.

Chuck laughed. "I don't think so Lil." He placed the folded blanket on the end of the couch. "I'm willing to negotiate though. How about I make you some chocolate chip pancakes?"

Lilly smiled. "Yeah!"

"Wanna help?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Lilly jumped up and down.

"Alright then. Daddy will show you his secret to making the perfect pancake, but you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"I promise."

"Okay then, let's get started." Chuck reached for his daughter's hand and the two headed for the kitchen.

* * *

"Alright Sarah this is it, on this next contraction I want you to push." The doctor instructed.

"It's not supposed to be like this." She cried. "He should be here with me. I need him here with me."

"Hey, it's gonna be okay Sarah." Jimmy said approaching her side.

CJ was out in the hall on his cell phone trying to get in touch with their father. They hadn't been able to get ahold of him in nearly two days now and no one knew of his whereabouts.

"I can't! Not without Chuck. Please Jimmy. I need him." She cried.

"Here Sarah. Just….just hold my hand okay." He held his hand out to her just as her contraction started. She grabbed hold of it and squeezed. Jimmy practically hit the floor. He wasn't sure, but he thought he may have even heard a bone break.

"Push Sarah." The doctor instructed.

Sarah bore down and pushed through the contraction.

"Wonderful Sarah. You keep that up and this baby will be out in a couple more pushes." The doctor commented.

Once the contraction was over, Sarah's head fell back against her pillow. The sweat dripped from her forehead. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, her cheeks stained with tears. She turned her attention to Jimmy by her side who was nursing his hand. He appeared to be in a lot of pain.

"I'm sorry." She said to him.

"It's okay." He tried to play if off like it was nothing. Like his hand wasn't throbbing.

It wasn't long before Sarah felt her next contraction coming on. Jimmy hesitantly offered up his hand to her. She grabbed hold and squeezed tightly as she tried to push through the contraction. She stopped halfway through.

"Come on Sarah, I need you to push." The doctor spoke up trying to encourage her.

"I can't, I can't do this. Not without him."

"Sarah, you can do this. You need to do this." Jimmy encouraged her.

Sarah took a deep breath and began pushing once again.

* * *

Chuck entered Castle to find Casey working at one of the computer stations. "Casey, has he said anything yet?"

Casey looked up to acknowledge him. "Not yet. We have his phone tapped, we're screening all incoming phone calls and we have surveillance in place where we found him, but nothing yet. There is one specific number that has been calling his phone a lot since last night; we're looking in to it."

Chuck plopped down in the chair next to Casey.

"You okay?" Casey asked. "You look tired."

"Yeah, I had a rough night. Didn't sleep too well, lots of dreams."

Casey nodded his head. "So you never told me. What did Beckman have to say when you broke the news to her about your early retirement?"

"Not too much. I think she understands."

A young agent entered the room. "Colonel Casey. I have those phone records you asked for." He handed him a manila folder.

"Thanks Parker." Casey said taking the file from him. Agent Parker left the room just as quickly as he had entered it.

Casey opened the file and began to read.

"Well this is interesting."

"What is it?" Chuck asked sitting up straight.

"This number that's been trying so hard to get a hold of Baxter belongs to a Curtis Baxter Jr."

"A son?" Chuck asked.

Casey raised an eyebrow.

"Casey his profile never said anything about him having a son."

"Perhaps we didn't dig far enough. Maybe we should talk to Baxter about this."

Casey stood up, Chuck followed suit and the two men headed for Baxter's holding cell.

Baxter looked up when he heard the door open.

"Good morning Baxter. How did you sleep?" Casey greeted his prisoner.

Baxter failed to respond to him.

"So Baxter, it appears that your son has been trying to get a hold of you. Twelve missed calls from him since last night. Sounds pretty urgent wouldn't you say?"

Baxter tried not to look concerned, but he knew CJ wouldn't call that many times if there wasn't a problem.

"Is he the one who's helping you?" Casey asked.

Baxter didn't respond.

"You know our surveillance footage from the parking garage where agent Walker was gunned down shows two young men in a van. We're still trying to identify them. Perhaps one of them was your son Curtis."

"You think you have it all figured out don't you?" Baxter finally responded. "My son has nothing to do with this. I haven't spoken to him since I went to prison. You think you have it so bad. I lost everything that day. Millions of dollars, my company, everything."

Chuck was fuming. "I lost my wife and my son! You can't even compare the two! I suggest you start talking, or we can bring in your son and give him the same treatment you're getting."

Baxter remained silent. Chuck stepped away from him.

"Come on, we're wasting our time here, let's bring the kid in." Casey said as he made his way for the door.

Chuck made his way towards Baxter. Once he was close enough, he punched Baxter hard in the stomach, eliciting a loud groan to escape the man. Chuck rubbed his knuckles as he made his way to the door.

The two men left Baxter. Once outside they turned and watched him through the double glass window.

"Why isn't he talking Casey?"

"I don't know, I thought for sure, he would have cracked by now. We'll keep at him though. Let's find the kid, bring him in and see what he knows."

* * *

"Whoa, Whoa, stop pushing Sarah…Nurse I need some assistance here." The doctor said.

Sarah stopped pushing. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with my baby?" She cried.

"Relax Sarah…The cord is around his neck, it's pretty tight, but no reason to start panicking…. We need to get him out on this next push, so I'm going to need you to give me one good hard push okay."

The tears fell down her face. She was terrified. She couldn't lose this baby. She had lost so much already, he was all she had left.

"Sarah did you hear me?"

Sarah shook her head just as the next contraction was hitting.

"This is it Sarah. Let's push this baby out."

Sarah took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could.

"That's it Sarah…push…good…here he comes… and he's out." The doctor moved quickly to remove the cord from his neck. Sarah watched them rush the tiny blue bundle over to the incubator where another doctor and several nurses were standing by.

"He's blue!" Sarah exclaimed. "He's not crying!"

"Relax Sarah; just let the doctor and nurses do their job."

Sarah laid there in agony for what seemed like hours in her mind, until she finally heard the loud screeching cries of her son.

She breathed a huge sigh of relief and the tears began to fall again.

Cindy, the nurse approached Sarah. "He's going to be fine. He looks good. The doctors just need to check him thoroughly to make sure his lungs and everything are fully developed being that he is a few weeks early…try to relax, you did great."

Sarah noticed Jimmy standing off in the corner. He had been a real trooper through all of this, holding her hand and encouraging her. And Sarah was even more thankful that he kept his eyes above her waist the whole time.

"Jimmy?"

The young man approached her.

"Jimmy did you see him? How does he look?" She asked.

"He looks good. He's so small. I've never seen a baby so small before."

Sarah looked up to see another nurse approaching with the wrapped up bundle in her arms. "Would you like to meet your son?" She asked.

Sarah held out her arms and the nurse placed the baby into them. He was so much smaller than Lilly had been, and Sarah had thought she was tiny.

"He is so small." Sarah cried.

"He's actually a pretty good weight considering how early he is. 5 pounds 2 ounces." The nurse replied.

Sarah placed several kisses on his tiny little face. "Hi Charlie...I feel like I've been waiting forever to meet you." She cried. She was completely captivated by him. She was hoping he would have his father's dark hair and eventually his curls, but the little hair he did have was very light in color, much like Lilly's had been. But his eyes, there was no mistaking it when she looked into those chocolate brown eyes. She saw her husband looking back at her.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, so bring out the firing squad. Chuck missed Charlie's birth. I promise there are good things to come. Please leave a review. Thanks for reading.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**So, you can thank the weather in NY for giving me a day off from work and allowing me to get out yet another early chapter for those of you who are still with me here. Hope you enjoy. **_

**Chapter 8**

After having been up for nearly 48 hours, the pure exhaustion finally set in. As much as Sarah tried to stay awake to keep a protective eye on her newborn son, she could no longer fight it. She had been asleep nearly an hour when CJ walked into the room. Jimmy sat in one of the visitor's chairs thumbing though and old Sports Illustrated. The baby slept soundly in the bassinet beside her.

"Where have you been CJ?" Jimmy asked jumping up from his chair.

"Relax would ya? I've been taking care of business here. Something's up, I can't get a hold of dad."

"Well did you try any of his other numbers?" Jimmy asked.

"I tried them all. I even called his local contacts. They haven't seen or heard from him in two days now."

"So what does that mean?"

"I don't know….I have a few more calls to make though."

"Well can you do that here and give me a break from babysitting detail. I'm starving."

"Fine, whatever, just hurry back."

Jimmy grabbed his wallet out of his jacket pocket and left the room in search of the cafeteria. CJ moved close to Sarah's bed to observe her briefly. He wanted to make sure she was really asleep before he started making his phone calls. Once he was sure that she was asleep, he began dialing.

* * *

Chuck took a seat next to Devon on the couch. Ellie had invited Chuck and Lilly over for dinner. They had all just finished eating. Chuck was letting Lilly play with her cousins for a while before heading home.

Elli came into the room and took a seat in the chair near Chuck. She couldn't help but notice that he seemed to be in his own little world tonight.

"Chuck are you alright?" She asked. Devon turned his attention to his brother in law.

"Hmm? What's that El?" Chuck asked.

"I asked you if you were alright. You seem like you're somewhere else tonight. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just…I don't know, I've had this feeling all day today that I can't seem to shake. Like… Sarah needed me…Don't look at me like that okay. I know, it sounds crazy. I just, I don't know I just feel really connected to her today."

"I don't think you're crazy Chuck. You're grieving, it's going to take time. You're going to have good days and bad." She tried her best to sympathize.

"I guess." He replied.

"Hey, how about a piece of pie? I made apple and I picked up some vanilla ice cream to go with it."

"Uh…sure."

"How about you Devon?"

"Babe, like you even have to ask." He replied looking up from the TV.

Ellie laughed. She got up and made her way to the kitchen to get their desert.

Devon scrolled through the channels until he came to the game. He tossed the remote down on the couch between himself and Chuck. "I get it bro…she's your soul mate…you have a special connection with her…people who have never been in love like that, you know never really connected with someone like that, they won't get it. Don't brush it off as nothing."

"You think there's something to it?" Chuck asked.

"I don't know bro, but who's to say there isn't something to it?"

_**

* * *

**_

_**2 days later…**_

Sarah was just finishing getting Charlie dressed and ready to leave the hospital. Her captors had finally after 2 days in the hospital, given her a few moments to herself to get herself cleaned up and dressed as well.

Charlie laid out on her hospital bed, dressed in a simple blue sleeper that was far too big for him. Jimmy had picked it up for her that morning. She smiled as she placed Charlie's little hat on his tiny, nearly bald head. She leaned down and kissed him sweetly on his cheek.

Her smile quickly faded. It was all so bitter sweet. What should have been a happy occasion, was more that of devastation to her. She should have been bringing him home, to his family, his house. But no, they would be returning to a tiny, dark, drafty room, where he wouldn't even have his own place to sleep. Sarah wiped at the single tear that was making its way down her cheek.

Sarah's nurse Cindy came into the room just in time to see her wiping the tear away. "What's the matter sweetie?" she asked.

Sarah just shook her head.

"Your brothers are going to be tied up for a bit; one went to get the car seat while the other is busy with discharge papers. You can talk to me."

"So, they're going to be a while then?" Sarah asked.

"Well, I've never seen the discharge process take less than 15 minutes and from what I heard, your other brother had to run over to the department store down the street for a car seat. I'd say you're looking at, oh, at least 15 maybe 20 minutes."

"Cindy, do you think…I really need to make a phone call…My brothers, they can't know…do you have a cell phone I could use?" Sarah pleaded.

Cindy looked hesitant. It was highly unorthodox to allow the patients to use your cell phone, but she had really become quite fond of Sarah and she felt sorry for her. She always seemed so sad.

"Okay." She conceded.

Cindy reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone and handed it to Sarah. "I'll give you a little privacy."

"Thank you so much." Sarah replied as she watched Cindy leave the room.

Sarah took a deep breath and dialed.

* * *

Chuck had just stepped out of the shower and was finishing getting dressed, when he heard the phone ring.

Lilly who was busy trying an assortment of hats from her dress up collection on her and Molly, jumped up. "I'll get it daddy!" she yelled up the stairs to him.

"What? No Lilly, don't answer the phone." He stumbled with his pants to get down to the phone and to Lilly.

"Hello?" Lilly spoke into the receiver.

Sarah's hand moved to cover her mouth as she choked back the tears when she heard her baby girl's voice. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello?" Lilly repeated herself when the person on the other end failed to answer her.

"L…Lilly." Sarah cried into the phone.

Lilly's face lit up. "Mommy!"

Sarah tried her best to get a hold of herself. "Yeah baby it's me."

"Mommy are you coming home?" Lilly asked just as Chuck reached the bottom step of the stairs.

"What?...Lilly who is that?" he asked approaching his daughter.

"Daddy, its mommy!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Chuck stood there in shock for a moment.

Sarah was about to tell Lilly to put her father on the phone when she saw the door to her room open and CJ coming barreling through. She had no choice; she quickly hung up the phone and hid it under the covers on the bed.

CJ looked at her skeptical for a moment, like he had walked in on something. Looking around he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. "Paperwork is complete; Jimmy will be here any minute with the car seat."

"Great." Sarah replied dryly.

Chuck grabbed the phone from his daughter's hand and held it up to his ear. "Hello?"

He was greeted with nothing but a dial tone. He turned his attention to his daughter.

"Lilly who was that? Who was on the phone?" His voice was raised.

"It was mommy." She replied softly, surprised by her father's tone.

"No Lilly! Mommy is dead!" Chuck slammed the phone down on the receiver. He brought his hands up to cover his face as he made his way to the living room. Lilly watched as he collapsed down on the couch and buried his face in his hands. She stood there frozen for a moment before finally approaching him. She could see his shoulders shaking and hear the sounds he was making, she knew he was crying.

Lilly approached him slowly and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Don't cry daddy."

Chuck looked up, to see his precious little girl standing before him.

"I'm sorry Lilly." He scooped her up in his arms and held her as tightly as he cried. "I'm sorry, daddy didn't mean to yell at you."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Later that night…**_

Casey and Chuck sat at his kitchen table going over some files.

"No one's been able to locate the son?" Chuck asked.

"Not yet, we have several agents out there looking…Oh I almost forgot. The lab was able to play with the surveillance video from the parking garage, they were able to get a portion of the plate number on that black van."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, every available agent is on it."

"Oh and the forensics report came in on your escalade. The bomb used was your typical homemade explosive. Whoever planted it was definitely an amateur. We had an eyewitness come forward saying he saw someone fiddling underneath your vehicle in the parking lot where you were parked that day in Valencia."

"So we could be getting close here to identifying this guy?" Chuck asked.

"Looks that way."

"Look Casey, I want to thank you for stepping up and taking the lead on all this. I know my head hasn't been in it like it should be. I just…it's hard…and with Lilly…I'm just trying to keep it together here most of the time."

"Something happen with Lilly?"

Chuck sighed. "No, I mean, I don't know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This morning when I was getting out of the shower, the phone rang; Lilly answered it before I could get to it."

"Okay. So?"

"When I walked into the room, I heard her call the person on the other end mommy; she was asking her if she was coming home."

"Well who was on the phone?" Casey looked dumbfounded.

"That's just it, when I took the phone from her, there was no one there, and it was just a dial tone."

"So do you think she was making it all up?" Casey was confused.

"Casey the phone rang, someone was on the other end. Why would someone claim to be Sarah? Who would do something so cruel to a child who just lost her mother?"

"Do you think that it's one of Baxter's people?"

"I don't know." Chuck replied. He sounded defeated.

"Well maybe we can pull some phone records see where the call came from."

"Casey, you don't think…"

"What?"

"You don't think that, maybe… it could have been Sarah?"

"Chuck?"

"I know its crazy right? I mean, I saw her body, I held her in my arms…I just…I keep going back to her laying there. Casey I know I felt the baby kick, I know it. I mean crazier things have happened right?"

Casey didn't know what to say, he knew that Chuck was having a difficult time with Sarah's death and that of the baby, but like he said, they were there, they saw her body, the coroner and medics confirmed it. Sarah Bartowski was dead.

"I'm losing my mind aren't I?"

"No." Casey finally spoke up. "Listen, I can finish these files up at home. You should try to get some rest. I'll see what I can do about those phone records okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks Casey."

The two men stood up and Casey made his way to the back door. Chuck walked him out. Chuck locked up and turned the lights off before heading upstairs. He stopped at Lilly's room to check on her. He made his way over to her bed and pulled her covers up around her. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead and headed off to his room.

* * *

Chuck flicked on the lamp on the nightstand next to his bed. He proceeded to kick off his shoes, followed by his shirt and pants. He opened the top drawer of his dresser and grabbed a clean t-shirt and threw it on over his head.

The plastic ziploc bag sticking out of the drawer caught his attention. He picked it up, his eyes scanned over the label.

'**Sarah Bartowski: Personal effects'**

Chuck peered at the contents inside. It was everything she had on her when her body was taken to the morgue. He reached in and pulled out the ring. Her wedding ring. He brought it close to his face and read the inscription on it.

'**Forever and Always'**

Chuck placed it on the tip of his finger. He brought it to his lips and placed a kiss on it before eventually slipping it back into the bag. His attention then fell to the pictures. He couldn't bring himself to look at them before. He pulled them out of the bag and ran his finger over the images that were taken of their son that morning. Chuck smiled. He had gotten so big. He held the pictures against his chest. Against his heart. Chuck looked them over one last time before slipping them back into the bag. He closed it and slipped it back into the drawer.

Chuck's attention moved to the small black box that poked out from under his pile of clean socks. He picked it up to examine it. He removed the lid from the box and stared at the small, silver, heart shaped charm with the blue stone in the middle of it. It was meant to be a surprise for Sarah. It was a new charm for her bracelet to commemorate the birth of their son. It matched the one he had bought her when she had Lilly, only hers had a pink stone.

Chuck turned his attention back to the plastic bag and rifled through it for the bracelet. He was confused when he couldn't locate it. He knew she was wearing it that day. She made it a point to tell him she was wearing it that morning. She wanted it with her, since he couldn't be. He had even clasped it for her.

Getting frustrated Chuck dumped the entire contents of the bag out on top of the dresser, he was in near panic mode as he searched and searched for it. It was nowhere to be seen. "Where the hell is it?" he asked himself.

Growing more frustrated by the second, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed deeply. It had to be there somewhere. It couldn't be lost. It was supposed to be Lilly's one day. Chuck tossed the items back in the plastic bag and sealed it. He tossed it in the drawer. He closed the box that held the charm and tucked it back under his socks and closed the dresser drawer. He was too worked up to look for it anymore tonight. He would look again tomorrow.

Chuck made his way over to the night stand and turned off the lamp. He was about to head downstairs to partake in his nightly ritual of watching infomercials until he passed out on the couch, when he stopped short. His gaze fell to their bed. Her satin robe still lying there. Chuck sat down on the edge of the bed and brought it to his face. He inhaled deeply. He could still smell her. Even the sheets smelled like her.

Chuck found himself lying down on the bed still clutching her satin robe in his hands. He pulled the sheets up around him and for a moment he could almost feel her there with him. He wrapped himself up tightly in the bedding and he felt closer to her. He needed to feel close to her tonight.

_**

* * *

**_

_**A week later….**_

Sarah emerged from the bathroom. It was the third time she had thrown up today. She was dizzy as she walked back to the bed. Charlie was sleeping soundly on the bed. He was swaddled in a blanket and pushed to the side of the bed that was pressed securely against the wall.

Sarah crawled back into the bed and pulled the covers up around her, she was shivering. She pulled Charlie close to her. She snuggled him and kissed his forehead, she was glad he was finally asleep, but she was worried about him. He was not eating well. Sarah didn't know if it was because he was having a hard time with the breastfeeding or if maybe he was sick. He was constantly crying and Sarah knew something was just not right with him. She had expressed her concerns to her captors. CJ didn't want to hear it. As long as she kept him quiet, he was happy.

Sarah closed her eyes and it wasn't long before she drifted off.

A good hour had passed when Jimmy entered Sarah's room, with a plate of food for her. She stirred in the bed and looked up at him when he entered.

She looked directly at him and a huge grin spread across her face. "Chuck!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Jimmy responded.

"You came. I knew you would come." She tried to sit up, but fell back against the mattress.

"Sarah, I think you're dreaming." He said setting the plate down. "I brought you something to eat."

Sarah closed her eyes. "Chuck, what took you so long?"

Jimmy moved in closer to her. He approached her and placed his hand on her forehead. She felt hot and her skin was clammy.

"Sarah do you feel okay?" he asked taking a step back.

"Hmm?" Sarah opened her eyes again. "Jimmy?"

"Hey." He greeted her.

Sarah slowly sat up in the bed.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her.

"I'm fine." She replied. Sarah sat up and immediately looked around for Charlie. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found him sound asleep net to her.

"I brought you some food. You should try to eat something."

"Thanks."

Jimmy left her to herself. Sarah looked at the plate full of food. She had no appetite at all. She laid back down next to her son and closed her eyes.

_**

* * *

**__**Later that night….**_

"Look CJ, I think she's sick, she's delirious, she thought I was her husband. I think we should take her to see a doctor. And the baby, he doesn't look good either. He's very pale."

"Jimmy, who cares! We have bigger problems here. I was finally able to get a hold of one of dad's associates. He seems to think that dad has been captured. We need to make a move, get out here, relocate."

"And go where CJ?"

"I'll figure something out. Just start packing up."

"What about Sarah and the baby?" Jimmy inquired.

"We have to take them with us. Pack everything." CJ ordered his younger brother.

* * *

Chuck and Lilly were just about to start a competitive game of Candy Lane, when there came a loud, almost urgent pounding on the front door. Lilly looked to her father. Chuck stood up from the living room floor and made his way to the front door. Chuck looked through the peephole to see Casey standing there. He unlatched the lock and stepped back as he opened the door.

"Casey?" Chuck greeted him.

Casey made his way through the doorway.

"Uncle Casey!" Lilly came running towards him and threw her arms around his legs.

"Uncle Casey come play Candy Land with us! You can be the blue guy again."

"Hey Lilly. I'd love to but, I actually have to talk to your dad here about work." Casey turned his attention to Chuck.

"Lilly why don't you go finish setting up the board while Uncle Casey and I talk. I'll be in soon." He gave her a wink.

"Okay daddy!" Lilly ran back to the living room and occupied herself with the game.

Chuck turned his attention back to Casey. "What's going on Casey?'

"We got them Chuck?"

"What?"

"About an hour ago one of our field teams brought in 2 guys holed up in apartment building in East L.A. In their possession, they found an assault rifle, the same kind that was used by the sniper who fired at me. They also found the bomb making supplies that were used to construct the bomb that was planted underneath your escalade. We have them in custody now."

"Casey that's great!'

"There's more Bartowski." Casey continued. "We got a hit on that black van. It matches up with the plate number we obtained. It's been seen in roaming around Bakersfield, the same area where we have been picking up the signals from Baxter's son's phone."

"Let's go get him!" Chuck exclaimed.

"Chuck, there's something else."

"What is it?"

"That phone call that came in here. You know the one Lilly answered."

"Yeah?"

"The signal came from the same vicinity."

Chuck looked at Casey in shock. "What?"

_**

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_**Okay, so another chapter down. Hope you enjoyed this one. There's lots of good stuff to come. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your reviews. I'm off to shovel...again.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, I am rushing here, trying to make my Sunday deadline. Uh oh one minute to go, Looks like it may technically be Monday here when it's posted. Anyway, hope you enjoy, I didn't get to proof it and edit it as much as I wanted to so hopefully it makes sense. Enjoy.**

**Chapter 9**

After spending the last hour grilling the two men that had been brought in, Chuck and Casey were positive that Baxter was in fact behind the whole thing. The two men were easy to crack; they turned on Baxter in no time, telling Chuck and Casey how Baxter had hired them to kill them, while Baxter's sons would go after the female agent. His sons were the only ones who had been successful in their mission.

Chuck and Casey were surprised to hear that Baxter had TWO sons, yet it made sense. There were two men on the surveillance footage; clearly they were both Baxter's sons.

All this new information ignited a fire in Chuck. He quickly made his way to the computer and began typing away, trying to access any additional information he could on the boys. All he could find was that the older son Curtis had dropped out of med school 4 years ago. There was nothing on the younger son, James. Neither of them had a record. The most he could find was a speeding ticket and a parking violation.

Chuck and Casey made their way to Baxter's holding cell. They informed Baxter that his two men he had hired to kill them were in custody and how they had turned on him. They also told him they knew about his sons and they were on their way to pick them up and bring them in for the murder of Sarah Bartowski.

Baxter laughed. "Well congratulations Nancy Drew, you solved the mystery! Too bad you weren't a little sharper, maybe there would be three of you agents here now, instead of just two."

Chuck attacked Baxter, toppling his chair in the process. He pressed him into the floor, his fist connecting with his jaw. Chuck's hand closed tightly around Baxter's throat and he squeezed as hard as he could. He wanted nothing more than to squeeze the life out of the bastard. Casey moved in and grabbed Chuck from behind, pulling him off of Baxter.

"Come on Chuck, we're wasting time here. There will be plenty of time for this when we get back. Let's get this family reunion under way."

Chuck walked back over to where Baxter was laying on the floor. His breaths were shallow as he was still struggling to catch it. Chuck kicked him hard in the stomach before turning and walking out of the room.

Baxter lay on the floor groaning in pain. Casey approached him and stood over him. "That was nothing compared to what we have in store for you when we get back." Casey kicked him again in his gut, followed by a foot to his groin. He turned and left to join Chuck, leaving Baxter on the floor writhing in pain.

* * *

Chuck grabbed several more guns from the armory and tossed them into his black duffel bag before zipping it up. Casey approached him with a tranc gun in hand.

"You bringing this?" he asked, holding it up.

"No."

Casey looked at him confused.

"I already have a gun." He said lifting the front edge of his shirt, exposing to Casey the gun that was tucked into the front of his pants.

Casey was surprised to see him choosing to go with a real gun tonight, but he understood. He nodded in response. "Ready?"

"Absolutely." Chuck replied. He slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and headed up the stairs with Casey following right behind him.

* * *

"Shhh Charlie, Its okay sweetie." Sarah rocked her son and spoke soothing words to him.

He had been crying for nearly 20 minutes now and she could not calm him down. She feared that CJ would come in and take action if something didn't happen soon. She herself was beginning to tear up out of frustration, not to mention pure exhaustion. She had tried everything. She couldn't get him to eat, he didn't need to be changed or burped. She walked the small room with him, she sang to him, she rubbed his back, she rocked him, but nothing was helping.

He felt warm to her and his breathing didn't sound right, but she couldn't determine whether or not it was because there was a problem or simply because he had been crying so hard.

Sarah laid him down on the bed. She laid down next to him and ran her finger soothingly over his forehead and began singing to him once again. Charlie finally started to settle down and eventually his cries subsided as he lulled himself back to sleep. Sarah who was utterly exhausted herself, pulled the blankets up around them and she found herself dozing off soon after.

* * *

"I win again!" Lilly jumped up in victory.

"Alright Lilly, time to pick up, it's way past your bedtime. Your father wanted you in bed half an hour ago." Alex began to pick up the game pieces and toss them back into their box.

"Will you read me a story?" Lilly asked.

"I think I can do that."

Alex and Lilly finished putting the game away and headed upstairs. Lilly grabbed the book she wanted off of her shelf and settled into her bed. Alex read her the lengthy story, but despite Alex's efforts, Lilly still seemed to be wide awake by the time she had finished the story.

"Goodnight Lilly." Alex moved to get up from the bed.

"No Alex, don't go." Lilly grabbed her hand and held it tightly.

"Sweetie, its bedtime."

"Can you just lay with me for a little bit?"

"Okay, for a little bit." Alex laid down next to Lilly who was still clutching her hand.

"Alex, when will my daddy be home?" she asked.

"Probably very late, maybe not even until tomorrow, but you don't need to worry because I'm here."

"Why is he going to be gone so long?"

"Well Lilly, your daddy and my daddy have some important work to do."

"Alex?"

"Yes Lilly."

"I miss my mommy."

Alex turned to face Lilly. She held her arms open to her and Lilly snuggled in close to her.

* * *

Chuck and Casey made it to their destination in record time. Chuck was eager to wrap things up and get home to Lilly; he knew she was probably giving Alex a run for her money. He just hoped she wasn't upset about him being gone. He knew bedtime was a difficult time for her now and he didn't even really have a chance to go over her routine with Alex.

Casey pulled his crown vic down an old dirt road.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Chuck asked.

"According to our coordinates, it should be right up here." He replied.

It wasn't long before they noticed the old, run down house in the distance. Casey dimmed his headlights.

"I don't see the van." Chuck announced.

"I don't either, but it looks like there's a light on. This must be where they've been holed up for the last month." Casey pulled the car off the dirt road and out of sight. "Let's check it out."

Before getting out of the car Casey radioed their back up to stand by. The two men stepped out of the Crown Vic and quietly made their way up to the house. Casey and Chuck drew their guns as they stepped up on the porch. Chuck peered through the window.

"Looks clear." He said.

Casey slowly turned the door knob, the door was unlocked. "Cover me." He said as he slowly pushed the door open, gun in hand. The two cautiously entered the house. The entryway was clear.

Casey followed the sound of a television set playing in the other room. He moved further into the room while Chuck hung back giving him some distance. Casey didn't even hear the oversized man come up behind him. He felt the barrel of the gun press hard against the back of his head.

"John Casey, it's been a long time." The voice spoke.

Casey slowly turned around to face him. He smirked when he saw the man standing before him. "Matthews….I should have known you'd be working with Baxter again."

Matthews didn't have a chance to respond. The barrel of Chuck's gun came crashing down on the back of his head and within seconds he was hitting the ground.

"Come on. Let's search the rest of the house." Casey said as he made his way to the next room. The two searched all of the downstairs. It was clear, so they proceeded up the stairs.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, Casey went one way and Chuck went the other. Casey moved to the first door at the top of the stairs. He tried to open it, but the door was locked. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his lock picking tool and immediately went to work.

Chuck continued down the hall, checking the three rooms he passed along the way. Casey finally was able to pick the lock. He cautiously opened the door. The room was dimly lit, but he could make out the bed in the corner of the room. He was just about to move on, when he saw the mound of blankets on the bed move. He opened the door wide and allowed the light from the hallway to shine in. The blankets shifted again and then he saw the blonde tendrils poking out from underneath.

Casey's mouth dropped. "What the…?" he moved into the room and made his way over to the bed to get a closer look. He pulled up on the blankets a tad to reveal her face. "Oh my God!" he stepped back and moved towards the door. "Chuck!...Chuck, get in here….now!" he hollered for his partner.

Casey noticed the lamp on the floor next to the bed. He turned it on to get a better look. His hand moved to cover his mouth. "Oh my God Sarah." He was barely able to get the words out as he stood there in shock.

Chuck came barreling through the door, gun drawn and ready to shoot. "Casey!"

Casey stood in front of the bed, blocking Chuck's view. He slowly turned to look at Chuck as he entered the room.

"Casey? You okay buddy?" he asked after looking around and seeing that Casey wasn't in any immediate danger. "Casey you, look like you've seen a ghost."

"I did." Casey replied as he stepped aside, giving Chuck the full view of the bed behind him.

"What?" Chuck replied. He moved further into the room and looked past Casey. He froze mid-stride when he saw her body lying there. He turned to look at Casey, completely shocked and confused. "What is this?...No," He shook his head. "No, this….this can't be."

Casey placed his hand on Chuck's arm. "Chuck, its her." he replied.

Chuck's eyes immediately began to well with tears. He lowered his gun and rushed to the bed. He fell to his knees next to her. He hesitantly moved in to touch her. Afraid she wasn't going to be real when he did. His hand reached out for her cheek. She was real. He closed his eyes momentarily and savored the moment. He never thought he would touch her again. Her skin was warm against his palm. It was all so overwhelming and surreal. He lost it. He struggled to choke back the tears.

Sarah stirred beneath his touch. Her eyes eventually fluttered open, they were glossy and blood shot. She looked up at him, barely coherent. "Chuck."

Chuck smiled. "Yeah. Baby I'm here."

Sarah tried to keep her eyes opened but was failing miserably. She allowed them the close. "You came back." She managed to get out.

A look of panic came over his face. He ran his hand over her cheek caressing it. "Sarah? Baby, wake up!" his hand moved to her forehead. Chuck turned his attention to Casey. "Casey she's burning up."

"There was a hospital we passed a few miles back, we'll take her there. I go call in our back up to take Matthews back to Castle. Get her ready to move."

Chuck nodded and turned his attention back to his wife. He still couldn't believe it. He had to take a minute to just look at her. To think she had been there all this time. How did he not know? How was it even possible? He had held her lifeless body in his arms.

Chuck wiped at his tears one more time before pulling the blankets off of her. His eyes fell to her stomach. It was no longer the protruding pregnant belly she had the last time he saw her. His hands moved to her abdomen. "Oh my God! The baby." Sarah wasn't even due yet, but clearly there was no baby in her stomach.

Chuck removed all the blankets from the bed. He looked around the room, there was no sign of any baby or any indication that a baby had been there. He moved quickly, hesitant to leave her, but desperate to find their son. He left the room to search the rest of the house.

* * *

CJ pulled up to the house in a beat up Chevy that he had picked up in town earlier that day. He noticed the black van was gone and immediately he was furious.

"What the hell Jimmy. Where are you?" He put the car in park and shut off the engine. CJ jumped out and ran into the house. Jimmy was supposed to be getting them all packed and ready to move out tonight and from the looks of it, he was out gallivanting around, doing God knows what.

CJ made his way into the house. "Jimmy?" he called out to him. He could hear the TV on in the other room, so he headed in that direction. "Jimmy?...Matthe…" CJ stopped short when he saw Matthews' body lying in a heap on the floor. He bent down to see if he still had a pulse, he did. CJ pulled Matthew's gun from him and quickly moved to get to Sarah's room.

He ran up the stairs as quickly as his feet would carry him. CJ stopped in the doorway, surprised to see it open. He was expecting to walk in and see her gone. But she was still there, lying on the bed. He moved in to the room to get a closer look. He barely got within 2 feet of her when he felt himself being pummeled into the wall. Chuck grabbed him from behind, his arms pinned tightly against his back, his face planted in to the wall in front of him.

"You son of a bitch!" Chuck twisted his arm harder as CJ struggled to free himself.

Catching Chuck off guard, CJ was able to twist himself out of Chuck's grasp. He turned to face him.

Chuck attacked him with a vengeance, slamming CJ's back up against the wall. He delivered a right hook to his jaw, followed by a punch to the stomach.

CJ retaliated with a jab to Chuck's jaw. Chuck stumbled backwards, having been caught off guard. His hand moved to his lip and he wiped the blood away. Chuck and CJ continued to go at it with each other, neither willing to give in.

Casey re-entered the house with a few of their back up field agents. Hearing the commotion coming from upstairs, he rushed to see what was going on. When he re-entered the bedroom, he found Chuck on top of CJ on the floor, repeatedly punching him in the face. Chuck's hands covered in blood.

Casey moved in to pull Chuck off, but Chuck pushed him away, flinging him against the wall. Casey stumbled and tried to regain his bearings.

Sarah opened her eyes to all the commotion. She thought she was hallucinating when she saw Chuck. Was he really there? She forced herself to sit up a bit propping herself up on her elbows. "Chuck." The words came out barely audible. She focused her eyes and took in the scene before her. Casey struggling to get up on his feet. Her husband atop of CJ, beating him to a pulp.

"Chuck!" his name came louder this time, but he still didn't respond to her. "Chuck STOP!" She yelled.

Chuck froze at the sound of her voice. He turned to find her watching him; she seemed more alert and lucid. Chuck looked down at his blood covered hands, then at CJ. To say he was a mess would have been the understatement of the year. Chuck jumped off of him and tried to wipe the blood from his hands. He quickly moved to Sarah, kneeling before her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He wasn't apologizing for attacking Baxter's son like he did, but for everything. For not getting to her sooner, for not being there, for not figuring things out.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He buried his face against her chest and he held on to her for dear life as he wept.

"Chuck." He voice slightly louder than a whisper. "I want to go home."

Chuck pulled away. "Let's get out of here." He said standing up. He reached his hand out to her and helped her to her feet. Sarah stumbled and grabbed Chuck's shirt sleeve to catch herself. He snaked his arm around her to catch her.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked the concern evident in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm just….I'm just a little...dizzy." Sarah no sooner got the words out and she could feel herself going down, he legs buckled underneath her. Chuck caught her and swooped his arms under her legs and lifted her in his arms.

"Hey…hey…Sarah."

She could feel herself losing consciousness again. "Chuck….get…the baby." She managed to get the words out before falling unconscious once again.

Chuck stood there cradling her in his arms.

"Did she say to get the baby?" Casey asked approaching the two.

"Casey, I searched the entire house. There's no baby here." The tears welled in his eyes.

Casey's attention fell to Sarah's stomach. "Are you sure you looked everywhere?"

Chuck nodded.

"Alright, well, I'll get the rest of the team in here to take these two in and to thoroughly search the house and the whole perimeter. We need to get her to the hospital."

Chuck nodded once again. He threw a blanket over Sarah and headed for the car.

Casey drove while Chuck sat in the back, cradling Sarah in his lap. It was all so surreal; he was having a hard time taking it all in. He held her tightly in his arms, he head rested against his chest. He closed his eyes and took solace in the feeling of her chest rising and falling against him. She was alive and breathing. He brushed his lips against her forehead. His Sarah was alive.

* * *

Casey stood outside the hospital room watching. Sarah lay sound asleep in the hospital bed. Chuck sat by her, holding her hand, trying to comfort her with his words. Casey listened to Chuck as he offered heart felt apologies to her, for not coming for her sooner.

Casey knocked on the door before entering the room. Chuck looked up to greet him.

"Hey, how is she doing?" Casey asked.

"She's resting. The doctors have her on some pretty powerful antibiotics and some IV fluids. She was pretty dehydrated. They say it's an infection. They're hoping they caught it in time before she got septic."

Casey shook his head. "I can't believe this. How could this have happened?"

"I'll never forgive myself Casey for not getting to her sooner."

"Chuck, you didn't know, no one did."

"I should have known… it all makes sense now. The funeral director disappearing like that, the cremation so there wouldn't be a body. The phone call Casey….My God, she called the house and I still didn't put it together."

"Stop. You're not going to do this. You're not going to beat yourself up about this and wallow in self-pity…. Chuck, Sarah is alive. You should be celebrating."

Chuck nodded in agreement. "You're right, as usual, you're right."

"Of course I'm right."

Chuck smirked.

"So you might be happy to know that you busted junior's jaw and broke his nose." Casey continued.

Chuck signed. "Hardly seems like enough."

"Oh don't worry; he has a lot more in store for him once we get him back to headquarters."

Sarah shifted in the bed, Chuck gave her his full divided attention when he felt her squeeze his hand. Her eyes opened and they locked with his.

"Hey." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it while his free hand moved to her forehead. He lovingly caressed it. He breathed a sigh of relief. She had felt much cooler than she had when they came in. Her temperature must be coming down.

"Am I dreaming? Tell me I'm not dreaming Chuck." The tears glistened in her eyes. Chuck moved in closer to her. His face mere inches from hers. He leaned in and brushed his lips gently against hers. Slowly pulling away, his hand caressed her cheek.

"You're not dreaming. I'm here."

Sarah couldn't hold back her tears any longer, she allowed them to fall.

"Did you see him?" Sarah's face lit up. "Did you see the baby?"

Chuck's smile faded, causing a look of confusion to come over Sarah.

"Chuck?...Chuck, where's the baby?" She asked attempting to sit up more in the bed.

"Sarah…I…we…didn't…we didn't… find…" Chuck swallowed hard. "Sarah…there was no baby."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, so what did you think? There is more Charah reunion to come. Sarah is still kind of out of it, so there is more goodness to come. I look forward to your reviews. And now it is technically Monday, so Happy Chuck day to all!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so a few days late, but better late than never right? Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 10**

"What?" Sarah moved to sit upright in the hospital bed. Apparently moving too quickly. Her hand went to her head as the entire room began to spin around her.

"Whoa! Hey, take it easy." Chuck replied.

Sarah collapsed against her pillow. Chuck took hold of her hand with one of his, while his free one caressed her forehead.

"Chuck, how could you leave him?" The tears fell from her eyes, staining her cheeks.

"Sarah, there was no baby in the house where we found you. Are you sure…"

"What?... Am I sure what?" She didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"Honey, I just….are you sure….I mean…It's early. Technically you're not even due for almost a month."

"What are you saying? That I made him up? That I imagined him?"

Chuck immediately regretted his words. "No…I just mean….Oh God Sarah I don't know what I'm saying…I don't know where the baby is. Up until an hour ago, I thought you were both dead." Chuck's eyes welled with tears.

"Sarah, what is the last thing you remember, maybe you can help us find him? Is it possible someone might have taken him somewhere?" Casey intervened.

Sarah composed herself enough to tell them about the baby's birth and how she had overheard CJ talking about getting rid of the baby. The last thing she had remembered was singing him to sleep, things got hazy from there until recently when she woke up just now in the hospital bed.

"I'll go radio in with the team, let them know what's going on." Casey said leaving the room.

"Sarah, I'm going to find him. I swear to you, if it's the last thing I do, I will find him." Chuck proclaimed. Chuck moved from his chair to the edge of her bed. He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

Sarah cried against his chest. He ran his hand down her hair soothingly. "Chuck why is this happening?" She sobbed.

Chuck brushed his lips against the top of her head. "Baby, I don't know…but I promise you, they're not going to get away with this."

Chuck held Sarah while she continued to cry for the next twenty minutes, eventually the combination of exhaustion and sedatives became too much and her crying subsided.

"Chuck?"

"Yeah?"

"How's Lilly? I want to see her. I want to hold my little girl so badly it hurts."

Chuck smiled thinking about their daughter, how happy she would be. He had seen her so miserable for the past month.

"She's going to be doing a lot better when she sees you. I'll have her here in the morning, I promise."

The sedative that the nurse had brought in for Sarah was now in full effect. Chuck continued to hold her until she finally dozed off in his arms.

* * *

Casey knocked lightly on the door before re-entering the room. Chuck signaled to him, giving him the go ahead to enter.

"Any word?" Chuck asked.

"Nothing else turned up at the house. We have every available agent out there looking for the baby."

Chuck released his grip on Sarah and carefully slid out from under her and stood up.

"Casey, he has to be with the other brother, James. No one has been able to locate him yet. I have a feeling if we find him, we find the baby."

"The team is on it Chuck….Look I can handle all this for now, why don't you try to get some rest, you have had one hell of a night. When's the last time you actually slept anyway?"

"It doesn't matter Casey. I won't rest until my son is found and he is safe and sound at home with his family where he belongs."

"We'll find him Chuck, that's a promise."

Chuck rubbed his temples as he felt a migraine coming on. "Thanks Casey."

"I'm going to grab a coffee downstairs, you want to go get something?"

"Coffee sounds good. I'm going to stay here though, I'm not leaving her. Besides, I need to call Ellie and Alex, let them know what's going on."

Casey nodded. "I'll bring you back something."

"Thanks." Chuck watched Casey leave. He turned his attention back to Sarah, taking a seat in the chair next to her bed. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He didn't dare close his eyes, for fear that she might not be there when he opened them again. That all of this was just a dream.

Chuck pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Ellie's number.

* * *

Chuck and Casey sat in Sarah's hospital room going over all the information they had on James Baxter, hoping they would find something that might give them a clue as to where he may be.

"Colonel… Agent Bartowski…We got something here." Agent Parker said entering Sarah's room.

Chuck stood up and grabbed the file form his hand. He opened it and scanned the pages.

"What do you got there Chuck?" Casey asked.

"Some credit card records….looks like there were some purchases made last Tuesday…. at that department store we passed on the way here….get this, he purchased an infant car seat, diapers and it looks like a few other things….This is interesting."

"What?" Casey asked.

"A few hours ago he used the card at a gas station nearby. Looks like he filled up and stocked up on some junk food."

"He's running." Casey replied.

"Parker get someone down to this service station, talk with the attendant, see if anyone remembers him coming in. Maybe they have some surveillance footage, see if you can't get your hands on it." Chuck ordered.

"Yes sir." Parker replied, before leaving the room.

Frustrated, Chuck ran his hand through his hair as he turned and paced the room.

"We're getting closer Chuck." Casey stood up. "I'll go check in with our agents at Castle see if they were able to get anything more out of Baxter. Matthews and the son were brought there; maybe one of them said something."

A knock on the door caused Chuck and Casey's attention to turn to the doorway.

"Hello gentlemen." The nurse said making her way into the room. "My name is Cindy; I just need to check the patient's vitals."

Cindy made her way over to the bed to where Sarah was laying sound asleep. "Sarah!" she exclaimed.

This caught Chuck and Casey's attention.

"Excuse me?" Chuck asked. "Do you know my wife?"

"Your wife? Well…yes, of course I know her; I helped deliver her baby last week…. But I'm confused; I thought her husband was dead? And it says here on the chart that her last name is Bartowski, but this woman's last name is Burton."

"What? Who said her husband was dead?"

"Well her brothers told me that he had died."

"I can assure you, I have not died. And her last name is Bartowski."

"Yes, I see that."

"These brother's…can you tell us anything about them? We're looking for one of them." Casey spoke up.

"Oh…well, I actually just saw her younger brother about an hour ago. He was with the baby down in the ER. I didn't realize that Sarah was being re-admitted too."

"Wait. What? Are you saying that he's here? That the baby is here…in the hospital?"

"Well they were. The ER is usually pretty backed up, so I'm sure he's still here. I think he was being admitted."

"Take me to him?...Please?"

Cindy could sense the urgency in his voice. She nodded, not sure what was going on there. "Sure, follow me."

"Casey, please stay with Sarah, don't take your eyes off of her."

Casey gave him a nod. "Will do."

Chuck and Cindy made their way down the hall, taking a few turns here and there along the way until they made it to the ER.

"Oh, there's Jimmy right there." Cindy pointed out the young man, pacing outside of the pulled curtain of the make shift exam room.

"Jimmy!" Cindy called out as she waved to him. "Someone's here to see you."

Jimmy looked up to see Chuck charging towards him, nothing but vengeance in his eyes. Chuck greeted him with a right hook to his jaw, sending the young man to the floor.

Cindy gasped as she watched the scene before her.

Chuck grabbed Jimmy by his shirt collar and pulled him up to his feet again before delivering another blow, followed by another and another.

Hospital orderlies moved in to try to restrain Chuck but he shrugged them off like nothing, flinging them against the wall.

* * *

Casey ordered one of their fellow agents to guard Sarah when he saw 4 hospital security guards go running in the direction that Chuck had just gone. Once he was sure Sarah was protected he joined the chase.

By the time Casey got there, the security guards had their guns pulled on Chuck who had Jimmy pinned against the wall, his hand grasped tightly around his neck squeezing the life out of him.

Casey pulled his badge and intervened. "Federal Agent, put your weapons down!" he ordered the guards as he approached Chuck. The guards did as they were instructed. Casey moved in closer, Besides, Sarah, he knew better than anyone how to approach Chuck when he was like this.

"Chuck!...Chuck let go of him."

Chuck turned his attention to Casey who was now by his side.

"Chuck, let go….Sarah needs you…your family needs you…this won't help….look at him Chuck, he's just a kid."

Chuck could feel himself loosening his grip, eventually he let go and Jimmy fell to the floor gasping for air.

Several doctors and nurses moved in to assist Jimmy, to make sure he was alright.

"Just relax Chuck." Casey instructed his partner who was having a difficult time harnessing his anger. "You better get that hand looked at again." Casey said referring to Chuck's already bandaged hand from his encounter with CJ earlier. "Just breathe Chuck."

Chuck looked up at Casey. "You left Sarah?" he asked.

"Relax Chuck, there's an agent guarding her door."

Chuck relaxed a bit.

"Where's the baby?" Casey asked.

Chuck had completely forgotten about the baby, he was so focused on Jimmy.

Chuck approached the young man who was still on the floor. "Where's my son?" he demanded.

Jimmy looked up at him, terrified of what Chuck might do. He pointed to the curtain next to them. Chuck moved quickly, he pulled the curtain to find the incubator with the tiniest baby he had ever seen in his life inside it. His son. He had an IV in his tiny arm and tubes in his nose. He was hooked up to several monitors. Chuck gasped and his hand went to cover his mouth.

"What's wrong with him?" Chuck turned to face everyone. "What's wrong with my son?" he demanded.

A doctor hesitantly approached him. "Sir, I'm Doctor Robbins, I've been treating your son, here in the ER."

"What's wrong with him?" Chuck asked again, the tears now evident in his eyes.

"Sir your son came in severely dehydrated and running a fever. He was wheezing and his breathing appeared pretty raspy. We're waiting on some x-rays to come back, but I'm pretty sure he has pneumonia. It's not uncommon in preemies. We're giving him some IV fluids and some oxygen; his levels were kind of low."

"Is he going to be alright?" Chuck asked.

"He's responding very well, we have no reason to believe he won't recover from this in no time."

Chuck moved closer to the incubator. He reached out and ran his thumb over his son's cheek. The baby appeared to be sleeping soundly. He looked comfortable.

Chuck turned his attention to the doctor. "My wife is in the hospital, she's sick too. They were held captive by this one." He motioned to the man on the floor, "and his brother for the past month. This is the first time I am even seeing my son. Any chance he can come down to my wife's room so I have them together?"

"Well, not right now, no. After his test results come back and as long as he's stable we can see about moving him down there. He's actually headed up to the NICU in a few minutes here."

"The NICU? It's that bad? You just said that..."

"Sir, it's for precaution. Should things take a turn for the worse, they are equipped there to deal with it. Besides they have the best means of monitoring his condition."

Chuck nodded. "Fine."

"Mr. Bartowski, why don't you let me look at your hand?" Cindy said stepping up after having watched the entire scene unfold in front of her.

She ushered Chuck to a nearby cot, where he was still able to see his son. She began to clean up the hand. It was hard to determine how much blood was his and how much belonged to Jimmy. Jimmy was taken to his own gurney. Casey called in some back up agents to come down and guard him and take him in once he was done being treated.

"So that man…Jimmy…he's not Sarah's brother?" Cindy asked.

Chuck just gave her an 'are you freaking kidding me' look.

"You know, I knew something wasn't right with them when they came in. I mean Sarah seemed so unhappy and desperate almost to get away from them."

"And you didn't think it was suspicious, that is was worth looking in to?" Chuck asked rather harshly.

"Well, I thought it was odd, but when her brothers told me that she recently lost her husband and how talking about him only upset her all the more, I didn't want to push it. She seemed rather fragile."

"She was fragile. Those bastards shot her, faked her death and held her captive for over a month."

"I…I'm…so sorry….I didn't know….I did let her use my cell phone once."

"That must be the morning she called the house. Our 4 year old answered the phone; by the time I got to it no one was there. I thought someone was playing a cruel joke on us."

"I really am sorry. Charles right?"

"Yeah, well Chuck…How did you know that?" he asked.

"Well Sarah said the baby was named after his father."

Chuck laughed. It was just another battle he lost with her, but he didn't care, the baby's name wasn't important anymore. The fact that he was alive was.

"Is something funny?" she asked.

"No. Just a little inside joke between my wife and I."

"This is going to need stiches, but we better get an x-ray first. Make sure nothing's broken."

"How long is this going to take? I really want to get back to Sarah, and they're going to be taking my son upstairs soon."

"We'll get you right in to x-ray, shouldn't be long. You can sit with your son while you wait."

Cindy stood up and went to phone x-ray. Chuck stood up and made his way back over to his son. He leaned over him and watched him sleep. He didn't seem to be in any pain. Chuck hated that he missed his birth, that he wasn't there for Sarah, holding her hand, encouraging her, calming her fears that he was sure she had considering her history with Lilly's birth. But most of all, he hated that their son was suffering right now.

* * *

It was nearly an hour later when Chuck made his way back to Sarah's room and relieved the agent guarding her room of his duties. He walked in to see her awake and alert.

She smiled and sat up when she saw him enter. "Chuck!"

He smiled and made his way over to her, sitting down next to her on the edge of the bed. "Hey, how are you feeling?" He leaned in and kissed her.

"Better, now that you're here. What…What happened to your hand and your lip?"

"Oh, that."

"Chuck, what did you do?"

"Well I found James Baxter."

"You found Jimmy? Chuck what did you do to him?"

"I just roughed him up a little." Chuck didn't see any reason to get Sarah all upset. If she knew, that had it not been for Casey intervening, there was a good chance that Chuck might have killed him, she would have been very upset. That wasn't the Chuck she fell in love with and it was totally out of character for him to behave like that. He was a gentle soul and that's what she loved the most about him.

"Chuck did he say where the baby is?"

"Honey the baby was with him. Here at the hospital. He brought him in because he was sick."

"He's here?" Sarah's face lit up. "You saw him?"

Chuck smiled. "I saw him."

"Well, where is he? I want to see him."

"Honey, he's upstairs…in the NICU."

"What? Why?" the look of joy on Sarah's face quickly turned to one of panic.

"The doctor seems to think he has pneumonia, they're waiting for all the test results to come back."

"Oh my God!" Sarah began throwing her covers off.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Chuck stood up, confused by her actions.

"I'm going to see him Chuck."

"Sarah, you're sick, get back in the bed."

Sarah froze in her tracks and looked at him. "Chuck, I know you didn't just tell me what to do." Sarah stumbled as she felt the room spinning around her.

Chuck moved in and reached out for her to catch her. "Come on Sarah, you're sick. Please, just get back in the bed." Chuck guided her back to the bed and sat her down on it.

It didn't take long before the tears started to fall again. "Chuck, I NEED to see him."

Chuck nodded. "Okay, just….just let me get a wheelchair or something okay?"

Sarah nodded. Chuck leaned down and kissed the top of her head before heading out of the room in search of a wheelchair.

* * *

Chuck and Sarah leaned over their son. He was still asleep, content.

Chuck placed his hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I'm sorry I wasn't there. I wanted to be, more than anything Sarah, I wanted to be there." Chuck said, starting to get choked up.

She looked up at him, placing her hand on top of his. "I know. I'm sorry you missed it. Chuck this is your son…our son. I want you to meet Charles Owen Bartowski."

"Owen?" he questioned.

"That was your number one choice right?"

Chuck smiled and nodded. His lips grazed her forehead.

"He's so small Sarah. I've never seen a baby so small."

Sarah laughed. "He's actually a pretty big boy, considering how early he was."

"Really?"

"Mmhmm."

"Wait until Lilly sees him. She's going to flip. Wait until she sees he's not a monkey."

Sarah smiled thinking about her daughter and her wild imagination.

"Will she be here in the morning?" She asked.

"Yeah. I talked to Ellie; she's going to drive out with her."

"I can't wait. I've missed her."

"She's missed you." He replied.

"And I missed you. I've missed you so much Chuck."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you." He cried. Chuck pulled her close to him and held her. They both took comfort in one another's arms.

* * *

Chuck helped Sarah back in her bed. Neither of them wanted to leave Charlie, but he was resting comfortably and there was nothing more they could do for him tonight. The nurses highly encouraged them to go get some rest, especially Sarah who was still recuperating herself. Casey offered to stay upstairs and stand guard outside the NICU, promising to get them immediately if there were any problems.

Sarah sat on the edge of the bed and Chuck lifted her legs up on the bed for her, he head rested against her pillow. Chuck leaned down and caressed her cheek before leaning in and placing a kiss gently on her lips.

"Get some rest Sarah. I want you well."

She reached out and took hold of his hand.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Yeah." She replied.

"What is it?"

Sarah scooched over on the bed. "You. I need to lay with my husband."

Chuck brushed the hair from her eyes. He leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek. "I think I need that too." He replied.

Chuck laid down next to her. Sarah rolled onto her side to face him. He did the same so that he was looking directly at her. Chuck laced his fingers with hers and brought their clenched hands up between them, placing a kiss on her hand. His free hand moved to her cheek. He stroked it softly with his thumb. Their eyes locked with one another.

Chuck moved his hand to her shoulder, he gently pushed away the loose hospital gown, allowing it to fall off of her shoulder. The tears formed in his eyes as he ran his fingers over the scar from the bullet wound.

Sarah reached out with her free hand to touch him. She ran her hand over his cheek, and wiped at the tear that had escaped. She moved her hand down to his chin. It felt so good to be touching him. She traced his lips with her thumb. Her eyes welled with tears. She moved closer to him and grazed his lips with hers.

Her hand moved back across his cheek and down his neck. She circled around and stroked the back of his neck, their eyes never leaving one another. "You cut your hair. Your curls are gone." She spoke softly.

Chuck smiled. "You know I only grow them for you."

He smoothed his hand over her silky blonde hair. Sarah released his hand. Chuck rolled onto his back and Sarah moved in closer to him and rested her head on his chest.

"I dreamt about you every night. That you were holding me in your arms. It's what kept me sane during all of this."

Chuck tightened his arms around her and pulled her closer to him. "Sarah, you're all I thought about. I didn't want to go on without you, without the baby. If it wasn't for Lilly…"

"Don't say that."

"Baby it's true. I was dead inside without you. You and the kids, you're my whole world. Sarah, I love you so much." The tears fell freely. It was hard for Sarah to see Chuck break down like that. He had always been so strong for the family. He was their backbone so to speak. Ever since Sarah got pregnant with Lilly, he was the rock in the relationship as ironic as it sounded. He had learned over the years on the job, how to keep his emotions in check, at least when he was in public or when he was working. In the privacy of their own home he was different. He was her Chuck and that could never change.

Sarah lifted her head up and placed a small kiss on his neck. "I love you." She tightened her hold on him. "Don't let go okay. Promise you won't let go."

"Sarah, I'll never let you go. That's a promise." He kissed the top of her head and he felt her relax in his arms.

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_**Well, finally some Charah happiness, more reunions to come. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your reviews. On a side note. I posted a Valentine's Day one-shot called 'Forever my Valentine' for anyone who may want to check it out.**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you everyone for your reviews. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual, hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 11**

It was just after 7AM when Chuck's eyes fluttered open. His attention immediately went to the blonde asleep in his arms. Chuck smiled, for the first time in over a month, he felt good, happy, and surprisingly rested, despite the fact that he had been awake every hour on the hour, just to make sure she was still there. He pulled her closer and gently pressed his lips against the top of her head.

A light knock on the door caused his attention to shift from her to the door. The door opened and in came Cindy, pushing in front of her the incubator the held their son. Chuck loosened his grip on Sarah and sat up, careful not to wake her.

"I think somebody wants to see their mommy and daddy." Cindy announced moving further into the room.

"How's he doing?" Chuck stood up as they approached.

"Well, he is off the oxygen, his levels are good right now, they'll continue to monitor him though. They just took out his IV's and he's ready to try his first bottle. So how about it dad? You want to feed him?"

Chuck smiled. "Yeah."

"Why don't you have a seat there," Cindy picked Charlie up and walked towards Chuck with him.

Chuck took a seat in the chair next to Sarah's bed and waited in anticipation. He couldn't wait to hold his son for the first time. The grin plastered on his face was evidence of that. Cindy gently placed the tiny infant in his arms.

"You got one strong boy here. He is doing great. I'll be right back with a bottle for him."

"Thank you." Chuck replied as he watched Cindy leave the room.

Chuck turned his attention to his son. The baby was wide awake and staring directly at him. He shifted him in his arms to get a better look at him. He rested the baby on his lap, holding his tiny head in the palm of his hand. Charlie looked up at his father with his big brown eyes. Chuck smiled, he definitely had his eyes, but there was no mistaking it that Sarah was his mother. Despite the big brown eyes, Charlie looked just like her, blonde hair and all.

"Look at you. You are one strong boy. Clearly you take after your mother." Chuck looked over his son; he took his tiny hand in his and counted every finger. Once he finished with that hand he went on to the next, followed by every toe. "You're perfect." Chuck wiped at the single tear that was making its way down his cheek. "You gave us quite a scare last night. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me, but I promise you, that won't ever happen again. No one is ever going to take you away from us again. Daddy loves you so much and I can't wait to bring you home. I'm going to teach you so much. Maybe even some kung foo when you're older…If you want."

Chuck quickly wiped at his tears again when he heard the door open. Cindy entered carrying a bottle for the baby.

"Here you go." She said handing it to him. "I take it you know how to do this?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's not my first time." He replied.

"He may not eat much of anything, coming off the IV's, it may take some time."

"What if he doesn't take it?" Chuck asked.

"Well, if he refuses to eat, that's not a great sign, he may have to go back on the IVs."

Chuck sighed.

"But let's not worry about any of that just yet, let's see how he does."

Chuck nodded.

"Okay, well I will leave you two then. If you need anything, just let me know." She said as she made her way to the door.

"Thank you."

Chuck turned his attention back to his son. "Well kiddo what do you say? Should we give this a try?"

Chuck repositioned the baby in his arms and offered him the bottle. Charlie quickly latched on and began to feed. Chuck laughed when the baby nearly pulled the tiny bottle out of Chuck's hand from sucking so hard on it. Chuck was impressed to say the least. The tiny miracle he held in his arms was one amazing human being.

"Aces, Charles, aces."

* * *

Sarah watched them from her bed. Her boys. She had been awake for nearly five minutes now, but couldn't bring herself to break up their private little moment together. Their first as father and son. She loved watching Chuck interact with children, especially his own. He was particularly great with babies, she had almost forgotten that. It had been some time since Lilly was a baby.

Chuck was utterly enthralled with his son. He found it difficult to tear his eyes away from him. Charlie had sucked down the entire bottle in record time and even delivered a hearty burp for his father. As Chuck moved to reposition the baby, he noticed Sarah awake and watching them.

"Hey." He jumped up from his seat and made his way towards her. "Good morning." He leaned down and kissed her before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." She smiled up at him.

"We have company." Chuck offered her the baby, who she gladly accepted into her arms. "He is off the oxygen and his IVs. The say he's doing well."

"Hi sweetheart. Oh, mommy missed you." Sarah leaned down and smothered his tiny head with kisses, before resting him on her chest, where he cuddled up to her and in a matter of seconds was sound asleep.

"Talk about the magic touch." Chuck laughed.

A knock on the door caused the two to look up. Casey entered carrying a bag of bagels in one hand and a drink carrier with coffees in the other. "I thought you guys might be hungry." He said making his way in the room.

Chuck jumped up to grab something from his hands. "Thanks Casey, you didn't have to do that. Come on in and eat with us."

Casey made his way into the room and took a seat on the other side of Sarah's bed.

"How are you doing?" he asked her before taking a swig of his coffee.

Sarah looked down at her son and then shared a look with Chuck before answering. "I'm great John. Thank you for everything you've done."

"So what's the word on our friends back at castle?" Chuck asked.

"They're not saying too much. Well except for our latest addition James. He managed to spill on the funeral director. I have a team attempting to bring him in as we speak. We already brought in the coroner, a doctor and three medics who were on Baxter's payroll. Apparently that beating you gave the kid did the trick."

"What?" Sarah turned her attention to Chuck. "Beating?"

"It was nothing Sarah." Chuck replied.

"Oh don't be so modest Chuck. You should have seen him Sarah. If I wasn't there to intervene he might of killed the kid. He ended up breaking his jaw, his nose and giving him a concussion."

Sarah looked at Chuck in disbelief. "Chuck is that true?"

Chuck averted her gaze; he knew she was not happy. "Sarah, I did what I had to do."

Casey could see that this was a touchy subject for them. "Chuck, I think if you don't need me here anymore, I'm going to head back to castle, talk to these guys myself." He stood up to leave.

"Casey, they're not going anywhere. You have been up for hours, go home, see your wife, get some rest. I'll be in touch."

Casey nodded as he made his way to the door. "Sarah, I'm glad you guys are alright."

Sarah smiled. "Thank you John, for everything." She waited for him to leave the room before turning her attention back to Chuck, a glare on her face.

"What?" he asked.

"Chuck what were you thinking? Do you know that if it wasn't for Jimmy, I probably would have been killed weeks ago? He is the reason they didn't take Charlie away from me, he is the only reason I had something to eat. He was there for me when I gave birth. Chuck he helped me."

Chuck shook his head. "I can't believe you're defending your kidnapper. I mean really Sarah. I'm sorry if you disapprove of my actions but you want to know what I see when I look at this guy. I see the man who shot my pregnant wife. I see the man who took my wife and my son from their family, held them captive for over a month doing God knows what to them. I see the man who terrified my four year old daughter, stole her innocence and destroyed her world. Do you know she has cried herself to sleep every night since? Do you know what it's like every time I have to leave the house? She has a major meltdown, because she is so scared that I'm not going to come home. That I'll leave her too. So you'll have to excuse me Sarah if you think my actions were extreme. It's all I could do not to kill him."

Sarah's eyes watered. "Chuck."

He looked up at her and she reached her hand out for him. He took hold of it and she pulled him towards her. He sat back down on the edge of her bed.

"I'm sorry. I guess maybe I didn't realize how difficult it was for you too. I just want to forget this whole thing and go home Chuck. I just want to be home with you and the kids. I love you."

Chuck pulled her into his arms and smoothed his hand over her head. "I love you."

* * *

Chuck and Sarah had spent their morning secluded in her room, cut off from the rest of the world. They daunted over their newborn son and spent time bonding as a family.

Chuck finally set the baby down in the incubator and returned to his wife's hospital bed. He laced his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Chuck brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss her on the lips.

"Mmmm. I've missed that." She replied.

Chuck smiled. "You and me both." He was just about to lean back in to kiss her again when his cell phone rang. He rested his head briefly against hers and groaned in frustration. "I better get that."

Chuck sat upright and pulled the phone from his back pocket. "It's Ellie." He announced, looking at the screen.

"Hey El." He said answering the phone.

"You're here? Great!...No, we are on the fourth floor…yeah…..room 416…okay… yeah you know what, I'll meet you guys by the elevator….okay….I'll see you in a few minutes." Chuck hung up the phone.

"Ellie's here with Lilly." He announced to Sarah as he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

Sarah's face lit up.

"Listen, I'm going to meet them down by the elevator. I want to talk to Lilly first; she doesn't know what's going on yet. Dr. Nichols is with them, she's going to help me talk to Lilly."

"Dr. Nichols? Who's that?" Sarah questioned.

"She's our psychiatrist. She's been helping Lilly and I through all of this."

The tears began to form in Sarah's eyes once again. "My four year old is seeing a shrink?"

Chuck moved in and wrapped his arms around her to offer her comfort. "Hey, it's okay. She has been very helpful to us.'

"I just…I can't help but feel like I failed as a parent….God Chuck, she's four…A four year old should not be so fragile that she needs a psychiatrist."

"None of this was our fault Sarah. You are the most incredible mother in the world, which is why it was so traumatic for her. Don't ever blame yourself for what they did to you, to us, to our entire family." Chuck wiped at the tear that was making its way down her face.

"I should go meet them, they'll be waiting. You okay?"

Sarah nodded. "I just want to see her Chuck. Please just got get my baby girl for me."

Chuck smiled. "I'll be back soon." He leaned in and kissed her one last time before leaving the room.

* * *

Sarah waited in anticipation for Lilly to come walking through that door. She jumped when she heard the door open.

Ellie gasped when she entered the room. Her hand went to cover her mouth. "Oh my God! I can't believe it." She said as she moved towards Sarah.

Sarah smiled. "Hi Ellie." Ellie wrapped her sister in-law in a hug as she cried.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Ellie. We both are." Sarah said gesturing to the baby who was sound to sleep in his incubator on the other side of the bed.

"Oh my God Sarah." Ellie moved closer to the baby. She reached out and touched him gently on the forehead. "He's beautiful."

"Thank you."

Ellie and Sarah spent the next 10 minutes catching up. Ellie couldn't help but go over Sarah's medical chart, the doctor in her had to make sure she was alright and that she was being treated properly. And Ellie was absolutely giddy to hold her new nephew in her arms, something she didn't think she would ever experience. She couldn't help but notice how much he looked like his mother with the Bartowski eyes.

Both women looked up when they heard the door open. In walked Chuck. Tiny hands griped tightly around his leg from behind. The blonde haired, blue eyes beauty peeked out from behind him.

"It's okay sweetie." He encouraged her to come out. She hesitantly stepped out from behind him.

Sarah gasped as her eyes locked with her sweet Lilly's.

"Mommy!" Lilly ran to her and jumped up on the bed throwing her arms around her. Sarah sobbed uncontrollably as she held her daughter in her arms.

"Oh Lilly! Mommy missed you so much."

Ellie handed Charlie off to Chuck and made her way for the door. "I think I'll give you guys some privacy." She said.

"Thank you Ellie….for everything."

Ellie nodded and left the room. Chuck turned his attention to his wife and daughter who were embracing one another across the room. He leaned down and kissed the sleeping infant in his arms. "This is how it's supposed to be Charlie…All of us together."

Chuck gave his girls a few more minutes together before he intervened. He made his way towards them, Charlie in hand. He came to sit on the edge of the bed next to them.

"Lilly, I got someone who wants to meet you." He announced.

Lilly looked up from her mother's arms. Sarah smoothed her hair back and kissed the top of her daughter's head.

"Doodlebug, this is your brother Charlie." Chuck said.

Lilly's face lit up when she saw the tiny bundle in her father's arms.

"My baby brother?" She asked.

"Yeah." Chuck replied. Holding the baby so she could get a good look at him.

"Hi Monkey!" She spoke in a baby voice to him. Chuck and Sarah both laughed.

"Can I hold him?" Lilly asked, propping herself upright in her mother's arms.

"Of course you can. Here sweetie, I'll help you." Sarah said, as she readjusted herself.

Chuck placed the baby between Sarah and Lilly and they held him together. Sarah was overwhelmed having both of her children in her arms for the first time. She held them both as close as possible. Chuck moved in by Sarah's side and draped his arm around her. They were both so incredibly happy. It was a feeling none of them ever wanted to end.

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_**So a pretty happy chapter here. I know not much happened story wise, but there were more reunions to be had. I hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading, I look forward to you reviews.**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Well it's officially Monday here, so Happy Chuck Day to all. There's not too much action or anything going on in this chapter, it's mainly homecomings. Hope you like it. And I still have a few surprises up my sleeve.**

**Chapter 12**

Sarah and Chuck sat in the back seat off Casey's Crown Victoria as he headed back to Burbank. The car seat was situated between them, Charlie sleeping soundly inside of it.

Chuck reached over his son and took hold of Sarah's hand, lacing his fingers with hers. She looked up at him and smiled. She was thrilled to finally be going home. Being held captive for over a month followed by her two day hospital stay had taken its toll on her. She couldn't get home fast enough.

Chuck brought their intertwined hands up to his lips and placed a kiss on the top of her hand.

"Casey thanks for driving back out to get us." Chuck said, turning his attention to their chauffeur.

Casey acknowledged them in his rear view mirror. "No big deal." He replied.

"Any new developments from our friends back at Castle?"

"No, but we got a team coming in tomorrow to transport them all back to a top notch CIA holding facility in D.C."

"What time are they coming in? I want to speak to them one last time before they ship out."

"Not until 2:00."

"I wouldn't mind having a few words with them myself." Sarah chimed in.

Chuck turned to look at her. "Are you sure? You don't have to do that Sarah."

"Yeah Chuck…I do." She replied.

Chuck nodded. He understood. She needed some sense of closure on this whole situation.

"Maybe Ellie can watch the kids for a little bit while we take care of things at Castle." Chuck suggested.

"I hate leaving them."

"I know, but we can't bring them to Castle."

"I know."

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll figure it out."

* * *

It was just after 4pm when Casey pulled up to Chuck and Sarah's. Sarah looked out her window as their house came into view. A huge smile spread across her face. Chuck couldn't help but notice and gave her hand another squeeze.

"Baby we're home." He said. She turned and met his eyes with hers.

"I was beginning to think I would never see this place again."

"You ready to go in?"

"Absolutely." She unfastened her seat belt and turned to unbuckle to car seat.

Chuck Jumped out of the car and made his way around to the other side to open her door. Chuck helped her out and leaned in to grab the car seat while Casey grabbed the rest of their belongings.

Lilly came running out of the house, Devon following closely behind her.

"Mommy!" she ran into her mother's open arms. Sarah hoisted her up and squeezed her tightly.

Chuck closed the car door and turned his attention to his family.

"Honey are you okay picking her up like that?"

Sarah gave Chuck a look and he knew he made a mistake even questioning it. He backed off immediately.

"Hey Sarah." Devon said approaching them. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. " Oh my God! It's so good to see you."

Sarah laughed. "Hi Devon. It's good to see you too."

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good…. Just… glad to be home." She replied.

"Well come on, let's get you guys inside." Devon ushered them towards the house. Sarah in the lead, Lilly securely in her arms. Chuck followed, carrying the car seat with Charlie. Behind them, Casey and Devon.

"You're here!" Ellie exclaimed as Sarah entered the house. She pulled her into a big embrace.

"I'm here." Sarah smiled.

"Mommy, me, Steven and Dilly are making cookies with Aunt Ellie!"

"You are?"

"Uh huh, they're a surprise for you. Your favorite, peanut butter chocolate chip."

"Is that what smells so good?" She leaned in and rubbed noses with her daughter.

"Uh huh!"

Sarah smiled as she held Lilly close. She closed her eyes as she inhaled her scent.

"Wow, Ellie, the place looks great. Did you clean in here?" Chuck said coming in behind Sarah. He set the car seat down on the floor.

"Well just a little. I prepared dinner for you guys; it's baking in the oven. The kids and I are just finishing up some cookies. We'll get our mess cleaned up and head out, give you guys some time alone."

"What? You guys aren't going to stay for dinner?" Chuck asked.

"Well you just got home, we don't want to intrude."

"Ellie, that's ridiculous, you're not intruding, you're family. There's nothing I would like more than a nice dinner with my family. Please stay." Sarah spoke up.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Please."

"Well, okay. I guess we're staying for dinner then."

Chuck turned his attention to Casey. "How about you buddy? You staying for dinner?"

"No, I think I'm going to go home and see my wife. We have some catching up ourselves to do."

Chuck smiled. "Alright, well again thanks for everything. We'll see you tomorrow."

Casey nodded.

"Thank you John." Sarah said making her way over to Casey. She leaned in and gave Casey a quick hug, leaving him paralyzed and uncomfortable. Sarah laughed when she pulled away and saw the reaction on his face.

"Bye Uncle Casey!" Lilly reached out for him with her arms. He moved in closer to her and she leaned in to hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek, which elicited a smile from Casey.

"See ya kiddo."

Casey finished his goodbyes and headed out the door.

Chuck knelt down and unfastened Charlie's seat belt and removed him from the car seat.

"Welcome home Charles." He said as he hoisted him up in his arms and stood up.

Sarah, Ellie, and Devon all looked on and smiled.

"Wow, he's a looker Sarah, well done." Devon said as he leaned in to get a glimpse of the newest member of their family.

Sarah laughed. "Thanks Devon."

"Hey! It wasn't all Sarah you know. I may have had a little something to do with it." Chuck spoke up.

Everyone laughed.

"Sorry bro, but this kid looks like a tiny version of Sarah." Devon replied.

"Yeah, well…he has brown eyes."

Everyone chuckled again. Sarah moved in and placed her hand on Chuck's arm as she leaned into him.

"When I look at him all I see is you." She said as she placed a kiss on his upper arm.

Chuck smiled.

"Lilly, do you want to come help finish the cookies?" Ellie asked.

"Uh huh!"

Sarah set her daughter down and watched her run off towards the kitchen, Ellie and Devon following behind her.

Chuck and Sarah walked into the living room. Chuck sat down on the couch with his son still in his arms. Sarah snuggled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder as she looked down at their perfect new addition and admire him some more.

"He really is gorgeous isn't he?" Chuck said breaking their silence.

"Just like his father." Sarah agreed.

Chuck looked at her with disbelief. "Come on Sarah, who are you trying to kid here. He looks just like you, just like Lilly does. If it wasn't for his eyes, I'd think you made this baby on your own."

"Well if that was the case he really would be a miracle baby wouldn't he?" Sarah laughed.

She leaned in and kissed Chuck on the cheek. "I meant what I said Chuck. When I look at him all I see is his father. The same as when I look at Lilly. Sometimes you have to look beneath the surface, but it's there. And I always see more of you in them than myself."

Chuck sat back on the couch and lifted his arm to drape it around her. She snuggled into him more and his lips grazed her forehead before they both turned their attention back to their sweet baby boy.

* * *

After enjoying a nice family dinner and some quality time together with the family. Chuck and Sarah said their goodbyes to Ellie, Devon and the boys. They settled in with Lilly and Charlie for a quiet peaceful evening at home, which consisted of several games of Candy Land and popcorn in the living room.

Sarah took pleasure in being able to give Lilly her bath and get her ready for bed, while Chuck tended to the baby. Sarah had dried Lilly's hair and the two were sitting on Lilly's bed. Sarah ran the hairbrush through her soft, silky blonde locks.

"Mommy will you read to me?" Lilly asked looking up at her mother.

Sarah smiled. "Of course I will." She replied.

Lilly jumped up from the bed and ran to her bookshelf. Sarah rested the hairbrush down on her nightstand as she watched her daughter from across the room. Lilly grabbed the book she wanted and rejoined her mother back on her bed.

Lilly climbed back up on the bed and snuggled under the covers as she handed the book to her mother. Sarah snuggled in next to her and began that story.

Lilly watched her mother intently as she read the book to her. She kept her eyes on her mother the whole time, opting to look at her as opposed to the pictures in the book. Lilly played with a strand of Sarah's hair that hung down and ran her tiny fingers over her mother's cheek, causing Sarah's attention to shift from the story she was reading to her daughter, who looked up at her with tears in her eyes.

"Sweetie, what's the matter?" Sarah asked setting the book down.

"I was scared when you wouldn't wake up mommy." Lilly's tears fell freely.

"Oh sweetheart. I was scared too. I'm so sorry you had to see that." Sarah pulled her daughter into her arms and wrapped her arms securely around her. Lilly laid her head on Sarah's chest and draped her small arm over her, clinging to her.

"Mommy?"

"Yeah baby girl."

"Please don't leave again."

Sarah tightened her grasp on her daughter and grazed the top of her head with her lips as she fought back her own tears that were threatening to spill. "Lilly, I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

Sarah entered her bedroom, she stopped in the doorway and watched Chuck as he fussed over the baby he just settled into the bassinet. Sarah proceeded into the room and Chuck looked up.

"Hey, is Lilly all settled, I'll go say goodnight to her." Chuck asked.

"She's already asleep."

Chuck looked at his watch. "Really? That was quick."

"She was tired."

"Yeah?" Chuck made his way towards Sarah and reached out for her hands. "You look pretty tired yourself." He said.

"I'm fine." She said faking a smile for his benefit.

Fortunately for her Chuck could always see right through them. "No you're not…What's the matter?" he asked pulling her closer.

Sarah sighed. "It's just Lilly…I hate what all of this has done to her…She's scared and guarded. She's just not the happy little girl she used to be."

Chuck wrapped his arms around her. "I know…But she's getting better, She's really starting to come around and with you back home now….Sarah, she's going to be okay. Dr. Nichols is going to keep working with her. She just needs some more time. A lot has happened."

"I know, it's just….it's not fair that she has to suffer."

"I know." he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Is Charlie asleep?" She asked peering past him.

Chuck released his grasp on her. "Yeah, he just dozed off with the last of his bottle."

Sarah made her way over to the bassinet and checked on the baby. She smiled as she watched him sleep.

"We should probably get to bed too. It's been a long day and the baby's probably going to be up in a couple hours."

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am a little tired."

"Oh here before I forget. They gave me this at the hospital." Chuck pulled her silver charm bracelet out of his pocket.

Sarah's face lit up and a smile spread across her face from ear to ear.

Chuck moved towards her and placed it in her hand. "I was wondering what had happened to it. I knew you had it on the morning of your doctor's appointment, but when the hospital gave me your things, it wasn't there."

"Jimmy gave it to me. I'm not sure how he got his hands on it, he never told me, he just gave it to me one day."

"Oh that reminds me." Chuck made his way over to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out the envelope from the hospital with her name on it. He dumped its contents out on the bed until he found what he was looking for. Sarah smiled when he held up her wedding ring.

"My ring!"

Chuck smiled as he moved towards her again.

"I was wondering what happened to it. I thought it was gone forever."

"Sarah, I'd really like to put this back on your finger now." He said.

Sarah smiled. "I'd like that". She replied as she offered him her hand.

Chuck took her delicate hand into his and slowly slid the ring back on her finger where it belonged. Once it was securely in place he brought her hand up to his lips and placed a soft kiss on it. Sarah looked at her hand and admired the ring briefly before wrapping her arms around Chuck's neck. His hands went to her waist as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Let's go to bed." He said.

Sarah shook her head in agreement. She grabbed one of Chuck's shirts and headed to the bathroom to change.

* * *

Chuck and Sarah laid quietly in one another's arms. Her head rested in the crook of his neck as she traced circles on his chest with her finger. He lovingly stroked her arm with his hand.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" he asked. "About confronting Baxter and his associates?"

"Not really." She replied.

"Sarah, there's something I haven't told you yet…something, you need to know."

Sarah propped her head up to look at him. "This sounds serious."

"It is…Well…What I mean is… it's pretty big."

"What is it Chuck?"

"Sarah, I told Beckman that once this mission was over….once I found the person who did this to you…that I was done with the spy business for good."

"You what?" Sarah propped herself up on her elbow to look at him.

"Sarah, I just… Lilly had already lost her mother and there was no way I could go to work every day, doing what I do, and know that I might not be going home to her at the end of the day. She was all I had left and I wasn't going to leave her alone. As soon as things are wrapped up, I'm turning operations over to Casey."

"Are you sure that's what you want to do? I mean….Chuck, you worked so hard to build what you have. You love what you do."

"I love you more. I love the kids more. Without you guys nothing else matters. I want to be home at night to have dinner with my family. I want to tuck my kids in when they go to bed. I want to go to bed with my wife every night. I want this Sarah. I've wanted it for a long time now, I just …I finally got the courage to do it."

Sarah ran her hand over his cheek and caressed it. "You're sure?"

Chuck nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

A smile stretched across her face, taking him by surprise. "Good. I quit too."

Chuck bolted upright. "What?"

"I quit too. If you're out, then I'm out. I mean let's face it I haven't exactly been in that much, since Lilly came along, and I'm good with that. In fact, it's what I've wanted for some time now."

"Sarah….are you sure about this? I mean you have been a spy for the better part of your life. Can you honestly just give that all up?"

"Chuck, I'm not giving anything up. The way I see it, I am gaining my husband and my children. Nothing could make me happier."

Chuck smiled. "So we're really doing this? We're really quitting…for good?"

Sarah smiled as she nodded her head. "I'll tell Beckman my decision tomorrow."

"You're incredible, you know that?...I love you Mrs. Bartowski."

"I love you Mr. Bartowski."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Well was the homecoming satisfying? I look forward to your comments. Thanks for reading.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay, so a few days late but here it is. I had some trouble writing this chapter so try not to be too harsh with the criticism. Hope you like it.**

**Chapter 13**

Sarah had just finished feeding Charlie his bottle which apparently exhausted the infant causing him to fall back to sleep again.

Sarah glanced at the clock on her night stand, it was just after 7. Charlie had woken them up nearly an hour ago. Chuck had fixed him a bottle and handed it off to Sarah, while he jumped in the shower. Despite the fact that Charlie had woken them twice during the night, Sarah felt more rested than she had in over a month. It had felt so good to sleep in her own bed again. In her husband's arm.

Sarah could hear the shower water shut off. She stood from her bed and laid the baby back down in his bassinet. Sarah made her way towards the bathroom. She opened the door and stood in the doorway. Chuck stood at the sink, with only a towel around his waist while he finished brushing his teeth.

Chuck looked up to acknowledge his wife. "Hey. Is Charlie all done with his bottle? That boy sure eats fast. Lilly never took a bottle like that."

Sarah laughed. "I know. It's like he has Morgan's appetite. He's already sleeping again."

Chuck laughed as he rinsed off his toothbrush. "Lilly should be up soon. Are you hungry? How about I make us a nice big breakfast?"

Sarah slowly made her way towards Chuck. Coming up behind him she wrapped her arms around him and held on to him tightly, resting the side of her face against his back, her hands resting comfortably over his bare chest. Chuck brought his hands up to cover hers and held them in place.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I just….I need to feel you Chuck. I need to feel close to you…I wish we could make love."

Chuck turned in her arms to face her. His hands snaked around her waist pulling her closer.

"How much longer?" He asked.

"4 weeks" she replied.

"4?" he asked in disbelief.

Sarah nodded her head in response.

"Damn, I don't remember it being so long after you had Lilly."

"Well with Lilly, it hadn't been 5 weeks that we had gone without being together before her birth."

Chuck nodded. "That is true. It feels like it's been an eternity already."

Sarah's eyes locked with Chuck's. She looked up at him with nothing but love and desire in her eyes. "I really want to be with."

Chuck pulled her even closer and leaned in and grazed her lips with his. He kissed her softly and sensually, leaving them both wanting more. His lips trailed the length of her neck as he took delight in the familiar taste of her flesh.

"Sarah…there are…other things…we can do… even if we can't …make love yet." He spoke between kisses.

Sarah's eyes closed as she reveled in the feelings he evoked in her. She ran her hands up his back to his neck. She went to run her fingers though his curls, but was reminded rather quickly that he no longer had them.

"Mmmm Chuck….You're killing me here….No…Stop." Sarah pushed him away and took a small step back.

"Sarah?" he questioned her.

"Chuck we can't. You know we can't….And when you kiss me like that, and when you touch me, I just…It's not enough. I want more… and we can't."

"Honey I'm sorry." He pulled her back into his arms and held her. "I didn't mean to get you upset. I just…I miss you too, and I want to be with you more than anything right now. I'm sorry; I should have been more sensitive." Sarah smoothed her hands over his back. She looked up at him.

"Chuck, you are the most sensitive man I've ever known and I love that about you." She leaned into him and rested her head against his chest. Her hand came up and caressed him; she ran her fingers through his sparse chest hair.

Chuck wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you. I feel like I can't say that enough. I didn't think I would ever have the chance to say those words to you again." He said as he held her in his arms.

Sarah was just about to respond to her husband's heart felt words when she heard her daughter's blood curling screams.

"Oh my God Lilly!" She released her grasp on Chuck and darted for her daughter's bedroom. Chuck following right behind her.

* * *

"Lilly?" Sarah burst through her daughter's door ready for combat. She found Lilly sitting straight up in her bed. The tears streaming heavily down her face.

"Mommy!" She cried out.

Sarah ran to her daughter. She quickly looked her over as she pulled her into her arms. "Lilly what is it? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Chuck came to stand behind Sarah.

"Lilly did you have another bad dream?" he asked.

Lilly nodded her head as Sarah wiped at her daughter's tears, cradling her in her arms.

Chuck sat down on the edge of the bed next to Sarah. "It's okay doodlebug. You don't have to be scared." Chuck smoothed his hand over his daughter's forehead.

"Don't cry baby. Mommy's here." Sarah spoke soothing words as she held her daughter close.

"Mommy, they shot you and I couldn't wake you up."

The tears welled in Sarah's eyes. "I know sweetie, I know. But I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere. I would never leave you if I didn't have to."

Lilly sat upright in her mother's arms and wrapped her little arms tightly around her mother's neck, burying her face in Sarah's shoulder. Sarah rubbed Lilly's back soothingly and kissed her on her head. "Mommy loves you so much Lilly." Lilly's cries eventually subsided and she relaxed in her mother's arms.

"Honey if you two are good here, I'm going to go get dressed." Chuck spoke up.

Sarah nodded. "We're fine."

"Okay." Chuck stood up from the bed. He leaned in and gave Sarah a quick kiss on the forehead and left her to comfort their daughter.

* * *

Chuck and Lilly worked on making a nice breakfast for Sarah while she took a shower and got dressed. The now family of four sat together at the table and enjoyed just being together. Neither Chuck nor Sarah could even remember that last time they all sat and had breakfast together. It was a luxury they did not get to experience often, at least not in the past. Hopefully after today all that would change.

Chuck had made arrangements for Ellie to come over and watch the kids while he and Sarah took care of business at Castle. Sarah was hesitant to leave them, especially the baby, but she wanted to get this over with and she took a little comfort in knowing that they would be with Ellie.

* * *

Chuck and Sarah arrived at Castle just after 9:00. Casey was already there when they arrived.

"Hey 's our new additions?" Chuck asked.

"Holding cells 6 and 9." He replied.

Chuck and Sarah made their way through Castle hand in hand. They stopped outside of holding cell 6 where CJ was being held.

"Sarah are you sure you want to go in there?" Chuck asked. "You don't have to do this."

"Chuck, I know you are trying to look out for me…protect me, but I do have to do this. I'm going in." She replied.

Chuck nodded. He turned his attention to the access panel in front of him and typed in a special code. The door in front of them opened. CJ looked up when the two entered the room. He glared at his unwanted guests.

"What do you want?" CJ snarled at them.

"Oh, just thought we would see how you were settling in." Chuck replied.

CJ rolled his eyes.

Sarah found herself staring at him.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped at her.

Chuck immediately moved in closer, ready to defend her should the need arise.

"I don't know CJ. I just don't get it. You threw everything away for your father. Your entire future. It won't be pleasant where they're taking you. What has that man ever done for you?"

CJ was silent as he took in Sarah's words.

"You don't get it." He finally spoke. "All I ever wanted was to be a doctor. I worked my whole life for it. I gave up parties for study sessions, girlfriends for internships. I was at the top of my class five years ago until you people arrested my father."

"We didn't arrest your father, the FBI did. We just led them to him." Chuck interjected.

CJ turned his glare to Chuck now. "You're a real jerk you know that?"

Chuck laughed. "Maybe, but I'm not the one who's going to spend the rest of my life locked up in a top notch secured CIA holding facility."

CJ's eyes fell to the floor as he thought about his bleak future.

* * *

Chuck and Sarah's confrontation with Jimmy was very similar. Despite her horrible ordeal Sarah still couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the boy. He had showed her kindness when she was scared and worried for her family. He was there to help her through the delivery of her son, as she feared for his life and she had a difficult time dismissing all of that. The way she saw it, he was just a kid who got caught up in his father's world. A world he never wanted to be a part of.

Sarah was shocked to see the condition Chuck had left him in. His face, his body, bruised and battered. He looked scared.

Despite his wife's qualms, Chuck felt no sympathy for the boy. All he felt was hatred and disgust.

The three turned their attention to the door of the holding cell as it opened. Casey appeared in the doorway.

"Transport is here early." He tossed Chuck a couple sets of cuffs. "Get him ready to move out. I'll meet you up front with the others."

Chuck went to work cuffing Jimmy's wrists and ankles together while Sarah looked on from across the room. Once he was restrained the three of them emerged from the holding cell and met up with Agent Parker in the main corridor who was waiting there with CJ. Casey met up with them a few minutes later, toting along Curtis Baxter.

"Dad!" Jimmy spoke up when he saw his father.

Baxter barely acknowledged his son.

"I suggest you three say your goodbyes now. Chances are this is the last time you will see one another." Casey announced.

"Dad, how could you do this to us?" Jimmy spoke up. "How was it worth all this? You ruined our lives. Because of you, CJ and I lost everything!" Jimmy went off on his father.

"You lost everything? Everything you had was because of me. And what did I ever get? Two spoiled brats who only cared about their father's money. You lost nothing! I lost, my company, my money, my wife, my son!"

Baxter's last statement confused his sons.

"Dad, what are you talking about, your son? I'm right here, James is right here. We did everything you asked us to. I don't understand."

"Of course you don't understand. You always did think you were smarter than you actually were. Now my other son, he got the brains in the family."

CJ looked at his father in disbelief. "Jimmy? Are you serious? You think Jimmy got the brains in the family?"

"What? No, not Jimmy. Look since we probably won't be seeing each other again, I might as well tell you."

"Tell us what?" Jimmy piped in.

Chuck, Sarah and Casey were all ears as well.

"I have another son, or at least I had another son. That is until blondie here shot him and killed him."

Sarah looked at Baxter with confusion. "What?...What are you talking about?"

Baxter chuckled. "Always playing the innocent one Agent Walker. But you don't fool me. I know the cold blooded killer you really are."

Chuck turned his attention to Casey and Sarah. "The guy is crazy. He doesn't know what he's saying."

"Oh I am well aware of what I am saying Agent Bartowski. Agent Walker here was the agent who shot and killed my son Daniel." Baxter continued.

"What?" Sarah questioned. "Daniel?...As in Daniel Shaw?"

"That's right."

"Wait! What?" CJ interjected. "You had another kid?"

"Are you saying that Daniel Shaw was your son?" Chuck spoke up once again. A look of pure shock on his face.

"That's right. The only one of my boys that ever made anything of himself."

"I can't believe this!" CJ exclaimed. "How could you go all these years and never tell us we had a brother? How did you hide him all those years?"

"I didn't have to hide him. Daniel was never a part of my life. Not until about 7 years ago. He found me. I didn't even know he was looking." Baxter smiled thinking about him. "He was incredible. Graduated top of his class from Annapolis."

Jimmy gave his father a questioning look.

"Annapolis! The United States Naval Academy…." Baxter shook his head, how could his son be so dense he thought. "The boy graduated with honors. He was later recruited by the CIA. He was one of their top agents. The boy was unstoppable. He had everything going for him. He was at the top of his career. He had a wife whom he loved and wanted to start a family with." Baxter shook his head. "He was heartbroken when he lost her. Who would have thought that the same agent, who killed his wife, would be the agent who would inevitably take his life as well?"

"Your son deserved what he got." Chuck chimed in. "He was a double agent, working for the enemy. He was head of a terrorist organization set out to destroy the world. You should be thanking Sarah for ridding the world of the likes of him."

Baxter turned his attention to Chuck. "When your son is killed in cold blood I will be sure to thank the person who did it."

Without even thinking, Chuck pounced on him, plowing him into the wall. "Are you threatening my son?" His hands made their way to his neck.

Sarah and Casey quickly moved in and pulled him off of Baxter.

"Bartowski relax." Casey ordered him.

"Chuck, it's okay." Sarah stroked his arms in a soothing manner.

Chuck took a deep breath and turned his focus back to Baxter. "If you ever threaten my family or even think about my family again, I swear to God, it will be the end of you. You got that?"

"Transports here, let's move them out Chuck." Casey announced.

Chuck grabbed Baxter by the arm and guided him through Castle, personally placing him in the armored truck himself. Casey escorted CJ and Jimmy, tossing them in the truck as well.

"Have a nice life." Chuck said as he slammed the door shut.

Chuck and Casey stood momentarily and watched the truck drive off.

"Feels good to wrap this up." Casey spoke up.

"Yeah. Now I just have Beckman to deal with." Chuck replied.

Casey grunted. "Good luck. You're on your own with that one."

Chuck laughed. "So much for partners huh."

"You have the only partner you'll ever need waiting for you inside Bartowski. It was good while it lasted. We may not be partners anymore Chuck, but we'll always be friends." Casey extended his hand to him.

Chuck smiled, it wasn't often one got to see the softer side of Casey. He accepted Casey hand and shook it firmly. The two men turned and headed back inside Castle where they met up with Sarah.

Chuck rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Sarah's hand moved to his face, cupping his cheek. "You okay?" she asked, he voice full of concern.

Chuck held her tightly. He leaned in and pressed his lips firmly against hers and kissed her softly. "I am now." He replied as their lips parted. Sarah smiled up at him.

"You ready to call Beckman?" She asked.

"Absolutely. Let's do this."

"Well good luck you two. I'm going to get this paperwork filed. I'll give you two some privacy."

"Casey?" Chuck stopped him in his tracks.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Dinner, our house tonight at 6:00? We're celebrating. Sarah and Charlie's homecoming. Everyone's going to be there, it wouldn't be the same without you. Bring Catherine and Alex."

Casey smiled and nodded. "I'll see ya tonight."

Chuck watched Casey as he made his way down the hall and out of sight.

"Alright then." Chuck turned his attention to the phone situated in the middle of the table. He punched in some numbers and stood back as he and Sarah turned their attention to the large screen in front of them. Momentarily, General Beckman's face appeared on the screen.

"Agent Bartowski?" She questioned.

"General." He greeted her.

General Beckman turned her attention to the blonde by his side.

"And Agent Walker! I think I speak for everyone at the agency when I say, it is so good to see you."

Sarah smiled. "Thank you General."

"What can I do for you two?" Beckman asked, pushing aside her paperwork and giving them her undivided attention.

"General." Sarah started. "I don't think I have to tell you how important being a spy has been to me over the years. It's been my life for so long now."

"And you are one of our best." Beckman interjected. "A true asset to the agency."

"Thank you General, but…the thing is…I just….after everything that has happened….well it's been a real eye opener for me. My heart isn't in it anymore…I have other priorities now… My world revolves around my family…my children. And every day that I am out there on the job… and even when I'm not on the job, I am putting them at risk. If I've learned anything from this whole ordeal it's that… I just can't do it anymore General….I don't want to do it anymore."

"Walker, what are you saying?"

"General, what I'm saying is that….I am resigning from my position with the agency."

"Agent Walker, you have been with the agency long enough to know that you can't just resign. There is protocol to follow, extensive paperwork to file, it's not as simple as just saying you're out."

"I understand that General and I will do whatever I need to do. I just…I just want to close this chapter of my life and move on."

Beckman frowned. "I see. Well it goes without saying, that you will be a great loss to the agency. I will make arrangements and prepare the documents. You will have to come out to DC to finalize the paperwork and turn in your badge."

"I will do whatever I need to do. Thank you General."

Beckman nodded and was about to sign off when Chuck spoke up.

"General?"

"What is it Bartowski?"

"General, I assume that you will be preparing my discharge papers as well."

"Excuse me?" The General glared at him on the monitor

"General…I…I told you weeks ago that finding Sarah's attackers and putting them away was going to be my last mission…You agreed."

"Bartowski, that was when we thought agent Walker was dead. We can't very well be losing two of our top agents, not to mention the intersect now can we?"

"NO!...General, I am done! We already discussed this. I'll be turning operations here over to Casey. I am done with the spy business."

"You're done when I say you're done!" Beckman fired back.

Chuck slammed his fist down on the table in front of him. "I won't do it anymore!" he exclaimed as he collapsed down in the chair next to him and buried his face in his hands.

Beckman was shocked by his actions.

"General." Sarah stepped up to speak. "General, I'm begging you…WE…are begging you… Please… We just want our family back…we need to know that our children will be safe and that we will be coming home to them at the end of the day."

Sarah began to tear up and she could see the hardened look on Beckman's face soften just a bit.

"General, no one has done more for this country than Chuck. He deserves this… Please, for his children's sake… Our daughter is traumatized right now after everything that has happened… Our 4 year old is in therapy because of us and what we do…General please, you have to let him go, you just have to." The tears streamed heavily down her face.

Beckman was shocked to see Sarah in such a state. She had never seen the super spy so broken and vulnerable before. After several minutes of internal deliberation Beckman conceded.

"Alright. Let me see what I can work out. I'll be in touch." Without giving them a chance to respond, Beckman terminated their connection, leaving Sarah and Chuck in a state of shock.

Chuck looked up at the blank screen before them. "What just happened?"

"I'm not sure. I think we just quit." Sarah replied.

Chuck reached out for her hand and pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Okay, so one more surprise for you all. Shaw was Baxter's son. The son he always wanted but never really got to have, which made for a bitter, vengeful man.**_

_**Alright, so the story is winding down. At this point I think one more chapter will do it, but we will see once I start writing it. Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. I look forward to your reviews.**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so this is it. The final chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and find the ending satisfying. I have no plans at this time to write another story in this series. I think this one pretty much sums it up, but hey you never know. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 14**

"No, I want to see you guys too." Sarah spoke into the phone. She could see Chuck entering the kitchen out of the corner of her eye, empty plates in hand.

Chuck made his way over to the sink. He set the dishes down and turned his attention back to his wife.

"Let me work out the details with Chuck and we will get back to you guys." Sarah continued. "I know, me too….Alright….I love you guys too…I can't wait to see you. ..Bye." Sarah hung up the phone, a huge grin spread across her face.

"Was that your grandmother again?" Chuck moved in closer to her.

"Yeah. They want to come back out, but I feel bad , they were just out here and it's a big trip for them, coming all the way out here and you know my grandmother's health hasn't been the best."

Chuck continued to move towards her. He took her hands in his and laced their fingers together.

"Well, what do you think about us going out there to see them?" he asked.

"Really?"

"Sure. I think it would be a nice little getaway for us. Just relax and visit with your family. I'm sure they're dying to see the baby."

"They are." She replied.

"Alright, it's settled then, we'll make the arrangements in the morning.

Sarah threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

Chuck wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

Sarah pulled back just enough to meet his gaze with hers. She brought her hand up and caressed his cheek. "I love you." She said before leaning in with her mouth. She kissed him sweetly on the lips. Chuck ran his hands up her back and pulled her closer. He moved in to deepen the kiss, pressing her up against the kitchen counter in the process. Sarah moaned against his mouth. Chuck traced her bottom lip with his tongue begging for entrance. Sarah opened her mouth slightly, but closed it teasingly when he attempted to enter. Sarah smiled against his mouth which he found adorable. It retaliation, his mouth fell to her neck, where he proceeded to hit all the spots that he knew drove her crazy. Sarah threw her head back and allowed him to ravish her and she enjoyed every second of it.

Once he finished his sweet torture on her neck, Chuck's lips made their way back to hers.

"MMmmm Chuck."

It was Chuck's turn to smile against her lips. He loved when she called out his name like that. Just the very idea that he could affect her like that was mind boggling to him.

"Oh God, would you two get a room." Morgan said as he entered the kitchen carrying his own pile of dirty dishes.

Chuck continued to kiss Sarah. "We have…a….room…Morgan…so…get out of it."

Sarah erupted in laughter. She pulled away from Chuck and playfully swatted at him with her hand when he tried to keep the kiss going.

Morgan proceeded to place his dishes in the sink.

"You two going to come out and join the party or continue with your own little party in here? People have been asking where you two disappeared to."

"Morgan, you really know how to kill a moment." Chuck replied.

"Sorry buddy." Morgan smirked.

"Morgan, we'll be out in a few minutes." Sarah chimed in.

Morgan headed back towards the living room, leaving the couple alone once again. Chuck turned his attention back to Sarah and attempted to move back in to kiss her but she placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Chuck. We have to stop."

Chuck sighed in defeat. "I know."

Sarah brought her hand up and caressed his cheek as he stared into her eyes. "A few more weeks Chuck…It's going to be incredible."

Chuck took hold of her hands and laced his fingers with them once again. "I can't wait."

"I know. Me either, but you have to. We both do."

Chuck sighed heavily.

"Look, we've been through much worse things than this." She reminded him.

Chuck smiled at her. "I know." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "It's fine."

Sarah leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his. Just as the two parted lips, their attention turned to the cries coming from the living room.

"Sounds like someone is getting hungry." Sarah said.

'I'll get a bottle ready." Chuck said making his way to the refrigerator.

Sarah headed towards the living room in search of one unhappy infant.

* * *

General Diane Beckman sat in her office contemplating her latest dilemma. Agent Charles Bartowski had finally had his fill of the spy world. And who could blame him? It had cost him nearly everything. His wife, his son; and it truly did pain her to think about what it had done to that precious little girl of his.

Yes even hardened General Beckman had taken a fancy to the little one. It was a gift of hers. That little girl could wrap anyone around her little finger within five minutes of meeting them.

What could she do though? If it was entirely up to Beckman, she would let him go. Sarah was right, he has done more for this country in the past 9 years than anyone could ever expect. But even General Beckman had her orders and her superiors to answer to. They didn't know Chuck or Sarah, at least not on a personal level. And they didn't know one precious little Lilly Bartowski.

Diane leaned back in her chair. She reached down and opened her desk drawer. Her eyes focused on the crinkled piece of paper. She picked it up and scanned the crayon made images and smiled as she read the scribbled inscription.

_**To: The General**_

_**Love: Lilly**_

* * *

Ellie was enjoying feeding her new nephew his bottle. Sarah sat across from her on the couch, her youngest nephew Dylan securely snuggled up to her on her lap. Lilly and Steven played at Lilly's larger than them dollhouse along with Alex, who they managed to rope into their game, while Casey, Morgan, Devin and Chuck were glued to the game on TV while they enjoyed indulging in a beer or two.

Chuck's ringing cellphone caused him to shift his attention. He retrieved it from his pocket and looked at the screen. The expression on his face changed and he looked to Sarah.

"I have to take this." He said as he made his way out of the room in search of some place a little more quiet and a little more private. Sarah watched him, intrigued as he left the room. She knew whatever it was, it was important.

* * *

It was nearly forty five minutes later when Chuck returned. His departure and Sarah's nervous looks didn't go unnoticed by Casey.

"Everything alright Bartowski?" Casey asked when he re-entered the room.

"Huh? Oh...yeah. Everything's fine."

Casey grunted. He knew there was something Chuck wasn't telling him.

"Well guys, it's been wonderful but we need to get home and get these two hooligans to bed." Ellie said standing up.

Sarah stood up and hugged her sister in-law and said goodbye to her nephews.

"It's that time for you too Lilly. Come say goodbye and then you're going up to bed."

"But I don't want to go to bed mommy!" Lilly protested.

"Well I'm sure you don't, but it's not a negotiation. Come on, sweetie Lets go get your PJ's on and pick out a story." Sarah reached down and hoisted her daughter up. "Say goodnight to daddy."

Lilly reached for her father and he took her in his arms.

"Goodnight daddy." She yawned as she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a big hug.

"Goodnight doodlebug. I love you." He said giving her a big kiss. Before handing her back off to Sarah.

Chuck watched Sarah make her way up the stairs with Lilly. He turned his attention back to his guests and bid them goodnight. Casey was the last to leave. Chuck walked him to the door.

"Casey, we'll talk tomorrow, alright."

Casey nodded. "You got it." He replied as he stepped outside. Chuck closing the door and locking it behind him.

Chuck made his way back into the living room. He approached the baby swing where his son was sitting and picked him up.

"Hey there buddy. Did everyone finally get their fill of you? It's daddy's turn now." He placed a kiss on his son's head.

Chuck flicked off the lights in the living room and headed upstairs with his son. Chuck proceeded to the nursery where he changed Charlie's diaper and put some pajamas on him.

"There you go Charles. Nice and cozy."

Chuck picked him up from the changing table and headed towards his and Sarah's room with the baby. Chuck laid the infant down on the middle of the bed while he went about changing into a pair of pajama pants and a clean T-shirt. Sarah walked in just as he was pulling the shirt down over his head.

She smiled when she saw Charlie laying on their bed. She climbed up on the bed and picked him up in her arms.

"Do we get to see you now?" she said to him as she leaned down and smothered him with kisses.

Chuck smiled as he watched her with him. She was never more beautiful than when she was interacting with their children. Sarah looked up and caught Chuck smiling at her.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing, it's just….you're so beautiful."

Sarah blushed. It wasn't uncommon for him to say such things to her but it got to her every time.

"So, who was on the phone?" Sarah adjusted herself on the bed, resting her back against the headboard with her son cradled in her arms as she fussed over him.

Chuck's expression quickly changed. "It was Beckman." He replied.

Sarah looked up at the mention of the General.

Chuck made his way around to his side of the bed and sat down beside her. His expression changing to a much more serious one. "Sarah…Honey, we need to talk."

_**

* * *

**_

_**One week later….**_

"I really hate this Chuck." Sarah said, handing him his favorite tranc gun.

"I know baby, me too. But this is it. My last mission." Chuck cupped her cheeks with his hands and leaned in so his face was mere inches from hers. "Don't worry…Everything is going to work out fine. I promise."

Sarah's eyes locked with his and she knew he meant it. All they had to do was get through this one last mission tonight and they would be home free. Both of them, out of the spy world for good.

Chuck kissed her gently on the forehead before releasing his hold on her.

"I just… I hate that you and the kids are flying out to your grandparents on your own. What time does your plane leave again?"

"4:30." She replied.

"Okay. So once Casey and I wrap this mission up today, I'm going to fly out and meet up with you guys. Everything's going to work out just fine." He placed his hands on the sides of both of her arms and caressed them gently.

She looked up into his eyes. "Just promise you'll come home to us."

Chuck leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.

"Try to stop me." He offered a reassuring smile.

"Did you talk to Ellie and Morgan?" Sarah asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Morgan's going to look after the house while we're gone and Ellie and Devon are fine with taking Molly as long as we need them to."

"Daddy!" Lilly exclaimed as she came running in from the other room. She threw her arms around her father's legs and hugged them. He reached down and picked her up.

"Daddy are you leaving?"

"Lilly daddy has to go to work." As he said those familiar words to his daughter and watched the frown appear on her face, his heart ached.

"Daddy, I don't want you to go."

"I know sweetie, but I have to. Listen, you have a very important job today too."

"I do?"

"Absolutely. You, mommy and your brother are going on a big trip today. You're going on the airplane to visit grandma and grandpa. So I need you to be extra good for mommy and help her out with your brother."

"Daddy are you going to go to grandma and grandpa's too?"

"You bet. I'm going to meet you guys there."

Lilly wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too doodlebug." Chuck kissed the top of her head before setting her back down on the floor. Lilly ran back into the other room to play and Chuck turned his attention back to his wife who was having a hard time trying to maintain her composure right now.

"Hey come on." He pulled her into his arms and she buried her face in his chest.

"This is the first time we've been apart since I've been home." She reminded him.

"I know, and it's killing me. I don't want to leave your side or the kids for a second."

Sarah wiped at her eyes. "This is so stupid. You're going to be gone for like a day and here I am carrying on like a little baby." Sarah tried to pull away but Chuck refused to let her. He just pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly.

* * *

Casey tossed the last of his gear in his bag. "You ready for this Bartowski?" he asked Chuck who was gathering up the last of his gear as well.

"Absolutely. My last mission. I'm ready to close this chapter of my life for good."

"So what's next? Where do you go after all of this?" Casey asked.

"I'm not really sure. It doesn't matter, as long as Sarah and our children are there."

As much as Casey loved his job, he couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Chuck. Chuck was making the choice he didn't have the courage to make all those years ago. And because of that he had missed out on everything with the woman he loved and the daughter he didn't even know existed until a few years ago.

"You don't think you'll miss it? You're a pretty big shot around the agency here. Your absence is bound to cause a stir."

"I think you'll fill my shoes just fine Casey. Probably even better."

Casey nodded his head in agreement. "True." he said. "But it won't be the same without you."

Chuck smiled. "I'm going to miss you too Casey. But don't worry we'll still hang out."

"What? No, I'm just saying, it's gonna be different. We've been partners for almost 10 years now and..."

"Casey… I know."

Casey grunted in defeat.

"Let's move out." Chuck instructed as he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

Casey was glad for the suggestion. He grabbed his own bag and the two agents headed out of Castle and loaded their van.

* * *

Ellie waited patiently outside the front door of her brother and sister in law's house. It wasn't long before Sarah answered the door, complete with a burp cloth draped over her shoulder and a feeding infant in her arms.

"Hey Ellie. Sorry to keep you waiting." Sarah stepped aside and allowed her to enter.

"Oh it's no problem, I see you have your hands full."

Sarah closed the door as Ellie made her way inside.

"Is she ready to go?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah. I got her food and her leash and some toys packed up for her here." Sarah gestured to the pile that sat in the hallway.

"Are you guys all packed and ready to go?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"We're going to miss you guys. Any idea how long you'll be gone for?"

"No, not really."

"Don't forget to call us and let us know you guys arrived safely"

"We will. Oh and here. I have an extra key for you to give to Morgan." Sarah pulled the key from her pocket and handed it to Ellie. Ellie couldn't help but notice her sister in-law's nervous demeaner.

"What's the matter Sarah? You seem worried."

"I always worry about Chuck when he's on a mission."

Ellie offered a sympathetic smile. "But it's his last one." She reminded her as she placed a hand on Sarah's arm offering her comfort.

Sarah smiled. "It is his last one."

* * *

"Alright Bartowski, the building is clear. The explosive is on the third floor. All you have to do is go in and disarm it and we're done here." Casey instructed.

Chuck laughed. "I know the plan Casey."

Casey grunted in response.

"Keep a look out okay?" Chuck stood and made his way towards the old warehouse.

"Chuck?" Casey called out to him, causing him to stop in his tracks. Chuck turned and looked back at him.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

Chuck smiled and turned to walk away once again. Casey watched as he disappeared inside the building.

It was a good fifteen minutes later and Casey had still not heard anything from Chuck.

"Talk to me Bartowski. What do you got?" Casey spoke into his headpiece and waited. There was no response.

"Chuck?" Before Casey could get another word out, a huge explosion rocked the structure in front of him. Casey ducked for cover as flames and debris shot out in his direction. Casey waited for the dust to settle. He popped his head up to see the mess in front of him. The whole structure was completely gone.

"Chuck!" he yelled into his mouthpiece. Again there was no answer.

* * *

It took a good four hours to put out the massive flames before the team Beckman sent in could even begin their search for Chuck. Casey searched among the rubble for his partner. There was no sign of Chuck or his body. The only item Casey or any of the other agents were able to recover was a single black boot, belonging to one agent Charles Bartowski.

"Are you absolutely sure Colonel Casey?" Beckman grilled him.

"Yes General, I'm positive. No one could have survived that explosion." Casey spoke into his phone.

"I see. I will alert my superiors. Casey…please call Sarah...give her my condolences."

Casey swallowed hard as the other agents looked on. "Yes General. As soon as we wrap things up here, I'll call her." The two disconnected their call and Casey went back to conducting his investigation.

* * *

"Sarah!" Claire threw her arms around her granddaughter and held her tightly. "Oh Sarah, We've missed you so much."

"I've missed you guys too." She replied.

"My goodness, let me look at you." Claire pulled away and took in the sight of her granddaughter standing before her. "Simply beautiful."

Sarah blushed.

"Grandma! Grandpa!" Lilly exclaimed.

William took his great granddaughter in his arms and hoisted her up.

"Well hello Miss Lilly! Look at you. I think you have gotten bigger since we saw you last."

Lilly laughed and reached out with her arms to hug him.

"Oh my Goodness." Claire bent down and fussed over the tiny infant in the stroller. "Sarah, he is beautiful!"

"He's pretty incredible." Sarah agreed.

"Claire, they must be exhausted. Let's get them back to the house." William spoke up.

"Yes, absolutely! Besides, I can't wait to get my hands on this little one." Claire gestured towards their newest family member.

"That sounds great. Let me go grab our bags and I'll be right back."

"Sarah, you want some help?" Her grandfather asked.

"No, it's fine. Please, if you two could just stay with the children."

"Of course Sweetheart, we'll wait right here."

"Thank you." Sarah said as she headed off to baggage claim.

* * *

He watched her make her way across the airport lobby as she headed to baggage claim. He slowly moved in behind her, careful to keep a respectable distance.

Sarah waited as she watched the suitcases roll past her on the conveyer belt. Passenger after passenger grabbed their bags and departed. Sarah was dumbfounded when the last of the bags had been picked up and hers were nowhere in sight.

"Are you kidding me? They lost our bags?" Sarah sighed in frustration.

"Excuse me mam. I believe these belong to you." The man said with a heavy southern accent. Sarah looked down to see her bags appear at her feet.

"How did you…?" Sarah turned and came face to face with the man. Seconds later a grin was stretching ear to ear across her face. Sure, he was dressed in a baggy, black hooded sweat shirt, jeans and a baseball cap and was speaking with an accent but he was still her Chuck. Sarah threw her arms around him and he returned the gesture pulling her closer. Their lips crashed desperately into one another's and they partook in one hot, steamy, passionate, desire filled kiss.

"How did you get here before me?" she asked.

"I had a direct flight, no layovers."

"Is it done?" she asked.

Chuck nodded.

"Really?" she found it all hard to believe.

"Really." He replied. "I imagine you will be getting a call from Casey any time now.

"Well if I recall, according to the plan I am supposed to be calling him."

"Right. See you're better at this stuff than me."

Sarah smiled at his comment as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. "I suppose I should get this over with."

Sarah hit the speed dial for Casey's cell phone and waited. It rang three times before he picked up.

"Casey." He replied bringing his phone to his ear.

"Hey Casey, It's Sarah… I've been trying to get a hold of Chuck. I was supposed to call and let him know that we all arrived safely but I haven't been able to get through on his phone."

"You ALL arrived safely?" Casey asked.

"Yup, ALL of us, safe and sound."

Casey smiled when he heard this. He could hear the excitement in her voice. He had to himself to refocus on the task at hand before he spoke again.

"Look Sarah…there's a reason you haven't been able to get through to Chuck on his phone." Casey replied.

"Oh?...What is it Casey?... What aren't you telling me?"

Chuck came up behind Sarah and rested his hands on her shoulders.

"Sarah," Casey paused. "Sarah… there's been an accident."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Alright, so there you have it. I would really love to read your comments on this one. The fic has been a difficult one for me to write and has had quite the array of mixed reviews throughout the process, so I would love to hear what you all think of the final outcome. **_

_**As for what's next from me, I couldn't tell you. I have no immediate plans for any new fics at this time. I think I am going to take some time and actually catch up on reading some for a change. As always thanks for reading.**_


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